I must have started the first draft many years ago on pasta carbonara but last night, after a long tiring week of work, I made a version of this pasta classic which wowed both of us. Onion powder is unconventional but it adds a savory note to the dish, discreet and yet satisfying. I decided to write this recipe down.
Pasta carbonara, my way
- bacon/pancetta/ham strips, sufficient for two
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 yolk
- garlic powder (3 shakes)
- onion powder (1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 cup of grated cheese (parmasen, pecorino or cheddar)
- plenty of freshly ground black pepper
- tagliatelle for two (or Fettuccine). I prefer broad pasta for carbonara but spaghetti is the tradition.
- extra grated cheese to serve
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water.
In a heatproof bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 cup of grated cheese and black pepper. Set aside while you grill the bacon.
Fry bacon (or meat of your choice) in a pot with some olive oil. When the bacon strips are lightly browned on the edges, turn off the heat and pour off excess fat.
When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta (save the pasta water and the pot) and stir into the bacon pan. Coat the pasta with the bacon flavor and transfer the pasta into the egg mixture. Position the bowl on top of the pot which cooked the pasta. Whisk the pasta and eggs and let the gentle heat thicken the sauce. If the egg mixture remains watery after a few minutes, turn on the heat at low under the pasta water pot and keep on whisking/stirring until the sauce is thickened.
Serve the pasta with extra grated cheese and black pepper on top.
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Saturday, 10 March 2018
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Anelletti alla palermitana
Baked pasta with a beef, pork and tomato Ragu
Anelletti alla Palermitana
From Rick Stein's Long Weekends
- 120 ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 250 g minced beef (note 1)
- 150 g minced pork (note 1)
- 150 ml red wine (note 1)
- small handful fresh basil
- 450 ml tomato passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 turns black peppermill
- 1 cup of frozen peas (note 2)
- 350 g anelletti (O-shaped pasta) or macaroni
- salt, for cooking
- 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm dice (note 3)
- 20 g butter, softened, for greasing
- 30 g dried white breadcrumbs
- 50 g pecorino cheese, grated
Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 10 minutes. Add the beef and pork and brown for 5-10 minutes. Add the red wine, reduce by half, then add the basil and tomato sauce and paste. Simmer for 30 minutes until you have a rich ragu. Season with the pepper and salt.
Boil the anelletti until three-quarters cooked, about 8 minutes, in plenty of salted water with a dash of olive oil (10ml). It should still retain a bit of bite, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain well and mix with the ragu.
In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 70ml olive oil and fry the aubergine dice for abotu 3-5 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and stir into the pasta and ragu.
Heat the oven to 190C.
Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and sprinkle the base and sides with half of the breadcrumbs and pecorino. Spoon into the pasta. Finish with the remaining breadcrumbs mixed with pecorino. Press down firmly with the back of the wooden spoon. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top has taken on a bit of color and formed a crust. Serve warm with a side salad or, for a picnic, allow to cool in the tin and refrigerate. When cold, run a knife around the edge and remove the ring. Cut into wedges and serve with a salad.
Note 1: In the program, veal was used in place of beef and pork. Masala wine was used in place of red wine.
Note 2: In the program, a cup of peas was added to the finished ragu
Note 3: In the program, 5 slices of aubergine were cooked and lay at the bottom of the springform tin to create a floral pattern before spooning in the pasta. After spooning in half of the pasta, slices of provolone cheeses were added before adding the remaining pasta and finished with pecorino.
Anelletti alla Palermitana
From Rick Stein's Long Weekends
- 120 ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 250 g minced beef (note 1)
- 150 g minced pork (note 1)
- 150 ml red wine (note 1)
- small handful fresh basil
- 450 ml tomato passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 turns black peppermill
- 1 cup of frozen peas (note 2)
- 350 g anelletti (O-shaped pasta) or macaroni
- salt, for cooking
- 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm dice (note 3)
- 20 g butter, softened, for greasing
- 30 g dried white breadcrumbs
- 50 g pecorino cheese, grated
Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 10 minutes. Add the beef and pork and brown for 5-10 minutes. Add the red wine, reduce by half, then add the basil and tomato sauce and paste. Simmer for 30 minutes until you have a rich ragu. Season with the pepper and salt.
Boil the anelletti until three-quarters cooked, about 8 minutes, in plenty of salted water with a dash of olive oil (10ml). It should still retain a bit of bite, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain well and mix with the ragu.
In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 70ml olive oil and fry the aubergine dice for abotu 3-5 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and stir into the pasta and ragu.
Heat the oven to 190C.
Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and sprinkle the base and sides with half of the breadcrumbs and pecorino. Spoon into the pasta. Finish with the remaining breadcrumbs mixed with pecorino. Press down firmly with the back of the wooden spoon. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top has taken on a bit of color and formed a crust. Serve warm with a side salad or, for a picnic, allow to cool in the tin and refrigerate. When cold, run a knife around the edge and remove the ring. Cut into wedges and serve with a salad.
Note 1: In the program, veal was used in place of beef and pork. Masala wine was used in place of red wine.
Note 2: In the program, a cup of peas was added to the finished ragu
Note 3: In the program, 5 slices of aubergine were cooked and lay at the bottom of the springform tin to create a floral pattern before spooning in the pasta. After spooning in half of the pasta, slices of provolone cheeses were added before adding the remaining pasta and finished with pecorino.
Sunday, 6 April 2014
I make - All-in-one pasta
As much as I like to cook from scratch, there is something to say about the all-in-one method of cooking pasta. Less pots to clean, less water required and possibly less time (if you are an efficient cook). To be fair, this so called "all-in-one" method is no different from the method for paella or fideua which I both love and cook numerous times. But, it's always good to think outside of the paella box.
I made my first all-in-one pasta last night. Judging from my most fierce food critic's feedback, I think it's a good one. My recipe is inspired by these two recipes but I already deconstructed it further in my head (professional habit dies hard!) for future exciting experimentation.
Last thing, you may have noticed that my posts are pictureless these days. I can't find my battery charger since house moving and I don't want to buy yet another one. Sorry folks. May I kindly ask you to exercise your best imagination skill before my charger decides to turn up?
All-in-one pasta
Generous portions for two; starter size for four
Pasta base
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- a handful of cherry tomatoes (or increase the amount of tomato sauce)
- 200-250 g linguine, broken in thirds
- 2 to 3 cups of hot water (or stock)
- 2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (or canned tomato)
- fresh or dried basil
- half cup of rindless brie cubes (or other cheese which melts well)
Protein option
For seafood, shrimp, mussels, white fish or a mixture.
For meat, grilled sausage chunks, pancetta/bacon strips, chicken thigh
For plant eaters, how about some roasted veggies?
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, saute onion until translucent. Add in garlic for a few minutes. Then throw in cherry tomatoes (if using). Cook the mixture until cherry tomatoes are about to burst. Add in broken linguine and hot water. Make sure that all pasta submerge under the water and the water level is no more than 1cm above pasta.
Bring the pot to a lively boil and turn the heat to medium. You may want to stir the mixture a few times to separate pasta strands in the beginning (if you are a cooking geek like me, you will love this experiment). Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.
Preheat oven to 160C.
Add in your favorite tomato sauce along with basil. I used mushroom and pepper sauce last night. Cook for another 5 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add more water (1/2 cup each time). Taste and season with salt and pepper. You probably want to be light with the salt considering the cheese afterwards. Stir in brie cubes. This is your pasta base. If you want this to be a vegetarian dish, you can stop here after adding any other vegetables your heart desire. If you are an omnivore like me, proceed to the next step.
Now it's time for your preferred protein option. I stirred in a pack of mussels cooked in garlic and white wine sauce last night and topped the pasta with two slices of white fish dusted with salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked.
Sprinkle Parmesan before eating, optional, but why wouldn't you?
I made my first all-in-one pasta last night. Judging from my most fierce food critic's feedback, I think it's a good one. My recipe is inspired by these two recipes but I already deconstructed it further in my head (professional habit dies hard!) for future exciting experimentation.
Last thing, you may have noticed that my posts are pictureless these days. I can't find my battery charger since house moving and I don't want to buy yet another one. Sorry folks. May I kindly ask you to exercise your best imagination skill before my charger decides to turn up?
All-in-one pasta
Generous portions for two; starter size for four
Pasta base
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- a handful of cherry tomatoes (or increase the amount of tomato sauce)
- 200-250 g linguine, broken in thirds
- 2 to 3 cups of hot water (or stock)
- 2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (or canned tomato)
- fresh or dried basil
- half cup of rindless brie cubes (or other cheese which melts well)
Protein option
For seafood, shrimp, mussels, white fish or a mixture.
For meat, grilled sausage chunks, pancetta/bacon strips, chicken thigh
For plant eaters, how about some roasted veggies?
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, saute onion until translucent. Add in garlic for a few minutes. Then throw in cherry tomatoes (if using). Cook the mixture until cherry tomatoes are about to burst. Add in broken linguine and hot water. Make sure that all pasta submerge under the water and the water level is no more than 1cm above pasta.
Bring the pot to a lively boil and turn the heat to medium. You may want to stir the mixture a few times to separate pasta strands in the beginning (if you are a cooking geek like me, you will love this experiment). Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.
Preheat oven to 160C.
Add in your favorite tomato sauce along with basil. I used mushroom and pepper sauce last night. Cook for another 5 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add more water (1/2 cup each time). Taste and season with salt and pepper. You probably want to be light with the salt considering the cheese afterwards. Stir in brie cubes. This is your pasta base. If you want this to be a vegetarian dish, you can stop here after adding any other vegetables your heart desire. If you are an omnivore like me, proceed to the next step.
Now it's time for your preferred protein option. I stirred in a pack of mussels cooked in garlic and white wine sauce last night and topped the pasta with two slices of white fish dusted with salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked.
Sprinkle Parmesan before eating, optional, but why wouldn't you?
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
The pleasure of white food
There is an undeniable comfort which I find in all white food (or called nursery food by some). I grew up with congee, cooked with water (no stock, thank you very much) and simply dressed with pork floss or sometimes mixed in with a lightly beaten egg with dashes of soy sauce (heaven!). It could be any meal of a day, served under all conditions and eaten at a family table or curled up on the sofa. During my childhood, I was also fed with white toasts topped with peanut butter and jelly or butter and strawberry jam, countless times. Then I moved on to porridge when I reached my late teen. Cooked with milk by my mom but now I prefer it simply with water.
I still enjoy all these food, perhaps even more so now. Not only do they bring me back to a time when a world can be carefree and uncomplicated, but also I now appreciate more of so-called plain food. That's what growing old (sometimes known as maturing) does to me. I used to mistakenly assume complication as sophistication but now I enjoy simply being simplistic, comfortably. White food, unadorned, sometimes is the best way to appreciate the true flavor of food. As I layer flavoring upon layer, I notice how its taste transforms and develops. I guess it's a bit like people.
Needless to say, comfort food means different things to different cultures and to different individuals. For one couple of mixed cultures (yours truly), it's mac and cheese. Especially with a weather where Spring still feels like winter and with a workload sometimes felt multiplying by the minute, we relish our mac and cheese gratefully.
Easy Mac and Cheese
This version requires no bechamel sauce. I use curd cheese (of cream cheese like texture) to thicken the sauce up and it provides a lovely tang, very light, to balance the taste of the dish.
- 250 g tubular pasta, cooked, drained and with a cup of pasta cooking water reserved
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- a splash of white wine, optional
- 1 cup of stock
- 1 cup of single cream (or half cream half milk)
- 1 pot of curd cheese* (~227g)
- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
- ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
- pinch of paprika/chilli powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of grated cheddar (or a mixture of easy melting cheeses)
- 1 cup of panko
Heat olive oil in a pan, cook onion and garlic until they are fragrant and onions translucent. If you have some white wine at hand, a generous splash is very nice. Add in stock and cream. Bring the pot back to boil. Add in cooked pasta. If the pasta looks a bit dry, use the reserved pasta cooking water to adjust the moisture content. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes.
In another bowl, mix together curd cheese, mustard powder, black pepper, nutmeg and paprika/chilli powder. Add in 2/3 cup of grated cheddar. Fold the curd cheese into the pasta mixture. If you are short of time, you can skip the panko and simply cook the pasta on the stove until the sauce thickens lightly. If you have time, adding a layer of cheesy crisp topping is worth a try.
Pour the pasta into a buttered baking dish. Mix the remaining 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese with panko. Scatter on top of the pasta. Bake the pasta at 200C for 20 minutes until the top turns golden and pasta bubbling lively.
Serve with sliced hams, grilled sausages or burgers.
*Curd cheese is a type of fresh cheese which has a texture close to cream cheese but has much lower fat. Use cottage cheese instead if you can't find curd cheese. If using cottage cheese, use a stick blender to puree cottage cheese curds and mix in one egg.
I still enjoy all these food, perhaps even more so now. Not only do they bring me back to a time when a world can be carefree and uncomplicated, but also I now appreciate more of so-called plain food. That's what growing old (sometimes known as maturing) does to me. I used to mistakenly assume complication as sophistication but now I enjoy simply being simplistic, comfortably. White food, unadorned, sometimes is the best way to appreciate the true flavor of food. As I layer flavoring upon layer, I notice how its taste transforms and develops. I guess it's a bit like people.
Needless to say, comfort food means different things to different cultures and to different individuals. For one couple of mixed cultures (yours truly), it's mac and cheese. Especially with a weather where Spring still feels like winter and with a workload sometimes felt multiplying by the minute, we relish our mac and cheese gratefully.
Easy Mac and Cheese
This version requires no bechamel sauce. I use curd cheese (of cream cheese like texture) to thicken the sauce up and it provides a lovely tang, very light, to balance the taste of the dish.
- 250 g tubular pasta, cooked, drained and with a cup of pasta cooking water reserved
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- a splash of white wine, optional
- 1 cup of stock
- 1 cup of single cream (or half cream half milk)
- 1 pot of curd cheese* (~227g)
- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
- ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
- pinch of paprika/chilli powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of grated cheddar (or a mixture of easy melting cheeses)
- 1 cup of panko
Heat olive oil in a pan, cook onion and garlic until they are fragrant and onions translucent. If you have some white wine at hand, a generous splash is very nice. Add in stock and cream. Bring the pot back to boil. Add in cooked pasta. If the pasta looks a bit dry, use the reserved pasta cooking water to adjust the moisture content. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes.
In another bowl, mix together curd cheese, mustard powder, black pepper, nutmeg and paprika/chilli powder. Add in 2/3 cup of grated cheddar. Fold the curd cheese into the pasta mixture. If you are short of time, you can skip the panko and simply cook the pasta on the stove until the sauce thickens lightly. If you have time, adding a layer of cheesy crisp topping is worth a try.
Pour the pasta into a buttered baking dish. Mix the remaining 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese with panko. Scatter on top of the pasta. Bake the pasta at 200C for 20 minutes until the top turns golden and pasta bubbling lively.
Serve with sliced hams, grilled sausages or burgers.
*Curd cheese is a type of fresh cheese which has a texture close to cream cheese but has much lower fat. Use cottage cheese instead if you can't find curd cheese. If using cottage cheese, use a stick blender to puree cottage cheese curds and mix in one egg.
Friday, 1 March 2013
I make - Grilled salmon with tagliatelle in tarragon cream
This is one very delicious plate of pasta.
Grilled salmon with tagliatelle in tarragon cream sauce (adapted from FoodWishes)
- 4 green onions or 1 leek, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup creme fraiche*, single cream or cream cheese mixed with milk
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salmon steak cut in thin slices
- 1 tsp cajun spice
- 150 g dried egg tagliatelle (for two people), cooked and drained
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
Heat one skillet with one tablespoon of oil. Gently cook the green onions and garlic for two minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Let the wine cook until the liquid almost evaporates. Add in cream cheese and milk. Cook gently for two minutes. Stir the cream cheese to help it melt into the sauce. While the sauce starts to bubble from the edge of the pan, stir in the tarragon and mustard. Mix well. keep the heat at the lowest setting.
Heat another skillet. Lightly dust the salmon with cajun spice. Grill the fish until it starts to flake. Season with sea salt. Remove the fish from the pan.
Mix drained pasta with the tarragon cream. Plate up the pasta and dot the salmon slices on the top. Squirt the lemon juice liberally right before you eat. It's lovely.
*I even made this dish with Greek yogurt once. Although the result is good, the sauce tastes a bit grainy and not as smooth as creme fraiche/cream/cream cheese ones. I think I will stick with true cream in the future.
Grilled salmon with tagliatelle in tarragon cream sauce (adapted from FoodWishes)
- 4 green onions or 1 leek, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup creme fraiche*, single cream or cream cheese mixed with milk
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salmon steak cut in thin slices
- 1 tsp cajun spice
- 150 g dried egg tagliatelle (for two people), cooked and drained
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
Heat one skillet with one tablespoon of oil. Gently cook the green onions and garlic for two minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Let the wine cook until the liquid almost evaporates. Add in cream cheese and milk. Cook gently for two minutes. Stir the cream cheese to help it melt into the sauce. While the sauce starts to bubble from the edge of the pan, stir in the tarragon and mustard. Mix well. keep the heat at the lowest setting.
Heat another skillet. Lightly dust the salmon with cajun spice. Grill the fish until it starts to flake. Season with sea salt. Remove the fish from the pan.
Mix drained pasta with the tarragon cream. Plate up the pasta and dot the salmon slices on the top. Squirt the lemon juice liberally right before you eat. It's lovely.
*I even made this dish with Greek yogurt once. Although the result is good, the sauce tastes a bit grainy and not as smooth as creme fraiche/cream/cream cheese ones. I think I will stick with true cream in the future.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
My Valentine
Albany, New York, this seemingly remote and cold place in upstate New York, I almost made it my home.
I had flown in the night before for a job interview on a budget airline where I had to sit facing other passengers like in a bus. On the night of arrival, I had a dinner with my potential supervisor. I had no illusion that the interview started already at the dinner table. But I also felt so grown up. That was the first time that someone else in the world wanted to discuss professional matters with me! It was a daunting meal but I managed to maintain a calm voice and to rein back my supercharged heart beat. I even had a good night sleep before the official big day.
To be honest, the actual interview day went a bit blurred for me. All I could remember was that it went very well, so well that I was on the adrenalin high most of the time. I had good discussions with people I met. I found people friendly and sincere. I like my potential supervisor, a knowledgeable and very easy-going person, someone I thought I would have no problem working with. The job matched perfectly with what I had in mind and my profession. I just hoped that they would look beyond the fact that I was just finishing my graduate school and like me to be in a team.
During lunch break, I was taken to a nearby Italian restaurant. I remember how busy that small trattoria was during lunch time, how me and the other person had to be seated at a small table (or at the bar?) in a crammed space and how we both almost had to shout in order to hear one another. Quickly glancing through the menu, I ordered spinach and sausage penne. It was a cold January day but I was quickly warmed up by my hearty dish. The hardiness of spinach and the boldness of grilled sausage, both ingredients standing fiercely in their corners became incredibly mellowed up when dressed in the lightly creamed sauce. I thought it was the most wonderful thing I had ever tasted.
That was 12 years ago. How time flies.
Yes, I did get the offer and they even increased the sign-up bonus for me (you could call that beginner's luck). The prospect was good, the American dream, whatever it means and brings, how many people have chased and still follow. Any rational being thinking straight with a clear brain would stay and sign on the dotted line on the spot as soon as the contract arrives. But my heart was somewhere else, not in Albany, nor in America. It was across the Atlantic.
For the first time in my life, I followed my heart, and I have not looked back since.
But I did take the spinach and sausage pasta with me.
Spinach and sausage pasta
- 250-300 g baby spinach, blanched, squeezed dry
- 4 links of sausages, chopped into big chunks
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 150 g chestnut mushroom, quartered
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- pinch of dry chilli powder/flakes
- 1 leek, minced
- 1/2 cup whole milk (and some stock if the sauce seems dry to you)
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche/single cream
- your favorite pasta shape, cooked and drained
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat a non-stick pan and grill sausage chunks until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, put in oil and mushrooms. Saute for a couple of minutes and add in garlic and dry chilli flakes. Remove mushroom from the pan.
Now cook leek in the same pan. Cover the pan occasionally with a lid so that the mixture is steamed cooked. When the leek becomes soft (but not colored), add in milk. Cook the leek sauce on medium heat until it is reduced by a third. Add in creme fraiche or cream, cook for one minute. Return all the cooked sausage chunks and mushrooms back to the pan. Stir to combine the flavor. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta and spinach to the leek sauce. Bring the heat up to let the flavor mingle for a couple of minutes.
Serve two people gladly.
Happy Valentine's.
I had flown in the night before for a job interview on a budget airline where I had to sit facing other passengers like in a bus. On the night of arrival, I had a dinner with my potential supervisor. I had no illusion that the interview started already at the dinner table. But I also felt so grown up. That was the first time that someone else in the world wanted to discuss professional matters with me! It was a daunting meal but I managed to maintain a calm voice and to rein back my supercharged heart beat. I even had a good night sleep before the official big day.
To be honest, the actual interview day went a bit blurred for me. All I could remember was that it went very well, so well that I was on the adrenalin high most of the time. I had good discussions with people I met. I found people friendly and sincere. I like my potential supervisor, a knowledgeable and very easy-going person, someone I thought I would have no problem working with. The job matched perfectly with what I had in mind and my profession. I just hoped that they would look beyond the fact that I was just finishing my graduate school and like me to be in a team.
During lunch break, I was taken to a nearby Italian restaurant. I remember how busy that small trattoria was during lunch time, how me and the other person had to be seated at a small table (or at the bar?) in a crammed space and how we both almost had to shout in order to hear one another. Quickly glancing through the menu, I ordered spinach and sausage penne. It was a cold January day but I was quickly warmed up by my hearty dish. The hardiness of spinach and the boldness of grilled sausage, both ingredients standing fiercely in their corners became incredibly mellowed up when dressed in the lightly creamed sauce. I thought it was the most wonderful thing I had ever tasted.
That was 12 years ago. How time flies.
Yes, I did get the offer and they even increased the sign-up bonus for me (you could call that beginner's luck). The prospect was good, the American dream, whatever it means and brings, how many people have chased and still follow. Any rational being thinking straight with a clear brain would stay and sign on the dotted line on the spot as soon as the contract arrives. But my heart was somewhere else, not in Albany, nor in America. It was across the Atlantic.
For the first time in my life, I followed my heart, and I have not looked back since.
But I did take the spinach and sausage pasta with me.
Spinach and sausage pasta
- 250-300 g baby spinach, blanched, squeezed dry
- 4 links of sausages, chopped into big chunks
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 150 g chestnut mushroom, quartered
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- pinch of dry chilli powder/flakes
- 1 leek, minced
- 1/2 cup whole milk (and some stock if the sauce seems dry to you)
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche/single cream
- your favorite pasta shape, cooked and drained
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat a non-stick pan and grill sausage chunks until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, put in oil and mushrooms. Saute for a couple of minutes and add in garlic and dry chilli flakes. Remove mushroom from the pan.
Now cook leek in the same pan. Cover the pan occasionally with a lid so that the mixture is steamed cooked. When the leek becomes soft (but not colored), add in milk. Cook the leek sauce on medium heat until it is reduced by a third. Add in creme fraiche or cream, cook for one minute. Return all the cooked sausage chunks and mushrooms back to the pan. Stir to combine the flavor. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta and spinach to the leek sauce. Bring the heat up to let the flavor mingle for a couple of minutes.
Serve two people gladly.
Happy Valentine's.
Monday, 26 November 2012
I make - tuna chilli pasta
A very gentle introduction of canned fish into pasta. Lovely.
Tuna chilli pasta (adapted from Foodwishes)
- one jar of tuna packed in oil
- 4 strips of anchovies
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 cups of Marcella Hazan's tomato butter sauce (absolutely wonderful, my favorite pasta sauce and I always have some in the fridge. You can use instead store-bought pasta sauce, canned tomato soup or just canned tomatoes)
- pasta of your preference (I prefer egg pasta, tagliatelle or Taglioni/Taglierini), cooked and drained
- freshly grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Pour the tuna oil into a frying pan. Heat gently along with anchovies, garlic, oregano and chilli flakes. When anchovies are almost dissolved in the pan, tip in the tuna chunks. Do not stir too much. You want tuna to remain in chunks.
Pour in tomato sauce. Simmer the tuna mixture for 10 minutes under moderate heat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the cooked pasta. Gently toss to mix thoroughly. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes. Scatter parmesan on top. Turn the heat off and put the lid on for a minute or two.
Serve with blanched vegetables.
Tuna chilli pasta (adapted from Foodwishes)
- one jar of tuna packed in oil
- 4 strips of anchovies
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 cups of Marcella Hazan's tomato butter sauce (absolutely wonderful, my favorite pasta sauce and I always have some in the fridge. You can use instead store-bought pasta sauce, canned tomato soup or just canned tomatoes)
- pasta of your preference (I prefer egg pasta, tagliatelle or Taglioni/Taglierini), cooked and drained
- freshly grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Pour the tuna oil into a frying pan. Heat gently along with anchovies, garlic, oregano and chilli flakes. When anchovies are almost dissolved in the pan, tip in the tuna chunks. Do not stir too much. You want tuna to remain in chunks.
Pour in tomato sauce. Simmer the tuna mixture for 10 minutes under moderate heat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the cooked pasta. Gently toss to mix thoroughly. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes. Scatter parmesan on top. Turn the heat off and put the lid on for a minute or two.
Serve with blanched vegetables.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Pastabilities!
The idea has been on my mind for a while, to come up a list of my favorite pasta sauce/dishes. Initially I could only draw up three recipes, all cream based. It certainly showed my personal bias in pasta and that I needed to explore more before settling on a final list. So I did. I have been trying various tomato based pasta dishes this year. And how much fun I have had. Exploring new flavor combination is not only fun technically but also a learning process for the taste bud. I really had a great time working my way through the pasta world. The final list will be of course forever changing but here are our favorites so far.
My personal top 10:
Glam Mac and Cheese: the magic ingredient in this recipe is dolcelatte, a milder creation in the blue cheese department for the British market. It perks up your regular mac and cheese like no others. Try it!
Chorizo and Cream: If you like chorizo, you will like this. Quick and tasty. What can you ask for more? When I make it, I omit the herbs as I find them masking the natural flavors of the ingredients unnecessarily. Single cream works for me too. And I sometimes add two bell peppers to the sauce and call it Three-Pepper Pasta.
Pasta Carbonara: I like this Italian classic with caramelized onion, garlic and some cream. And of course, lots of freshly ground black pepper!
Tagliatelle with Gorgonzola and walnut. Walnuts are optional but provide a nice crunch. The Gorgonzola cream sauce is just heavenly.
Sardine, tomato, capers, black olives and chilli pasta. This is my favorite way to eat canned sardines. The ingredient list is very Puttanesca but I prefer sardine to anchovies. You could try with canned tuna too!
Anna del Conte's Tomato and dried porcini sauce
Giada De Laurentiis's Vegetable bolognese
My personal top 10:
Glam Mac and Cheese: the magic ingredient in this recipe is dolcelatte, a milder creation in the blue cheese department for the British market. It perks up your regular mac and cheese like no others. Try it!
Chorizo and Cream: If you like chorizo, you will like this. Quick and tasty. What can you ask for more? When I make it, I omit the herbs as I find them masking the natural flavors of the ingredients unnecessarily. Single cream works for me too. And I sometimes add two bell peppers to the sauce and call it Three-Pepper Pasta.
Pasta Carbonara: I like this Italian classic with caramelized onion, garlic and some cream. And of course, lots of freshly ground black pepper!
Tagliatelle with Gorgonzola and walnut. Walnuts are optional but provide a nice crunch. The Gorgonzola cream sauce is just heavenly.
Sardine, tomato, capers, black olives and chilli pasta. This is my favorite way to eat canned sardines. The ingredient list is very Puttanesca but I prefer sardine to anchovies. You could try with canned tuna too!
Anna del Conte's Tomato and dried porcini sauce
Giada De Laurentiis's Vegetable bolognese
My favorite pasta sauce is Marcella Hazan's Tomato, onion and butter sauce. Hands down. Best sauce ever. Three ingredients, perfectly matched and proportioned. I've tried it on pasta, rice and pizza. It just makes everything taste better. Success every time!
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