Tagliatelle con Broccolo Romanesco
It is actually becoming difficult to describe how wonderful and delicious our Monday Pasta is... Me. The guy who can talk all day - is having trouble coming up with words to describe light-as-a-feather hand-made pasta with a couple of simple ingredients.
But I tell ya, I'm gonna have fun trying!
What started out as a bit of a lark has turned into a real learning experience for both of us. We both grew up on the heavy southern Italian red sauce - with lots of beef and pork, meatballs and sausages. I absolutely love it. But all of a sudden, there are a bazillion ways to dress pasta - with just a couple of ingredients. Now, restraint has never been a word I would say, see, or hear in a kitchen, but these dishes are all about restraint. They're about a couple of ingredients standing on their own.
Tonight's pasta was a prime example. Cauliflower, anchovies, dried chiles, a garlic clove, and a can of tomatoes. I could taste every flavor, yet not one overpowered another. The balance was unbelievable and another perfect learning experience for the king of culinary excess.
And Victor has the pasta-making down to a science. It's uncanny what he is able to do with a couple of eggs and a cup of flour. Unbelievable.
So here's another fantastic Monday Night Pasta Dish... With more to come!
Tagliatelle con Broccolo Romanesco
Tagliatelle with Romanesco Cauliflower and spicy tomato sauce
- 2 ½ lbs cauliflower (preferably Romanesco)
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 flat anchovy fillets
- ½ tsp dried red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 1 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes in juice
- 1 lb Tagliatelle or other long pasta
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut cauliflower into 1 inch wide florets. Cook florets in the boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve water, transfer cauliflower to a colander to drain, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
In a large, high sided skillet with a lid, combine garlic, oil, anchovies and pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and juices (I break up the tomatoes), bring to a simmer then add cauliflower. Gently simmer sauce, covered, stirring once or twice for about 20 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken a bit. Meanwhile return the water to a boil.
Five minutes before sauce is ready, cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer to a large service bowl. Immediately add sauce and parsley, toss to combine. Serve immediately with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
The pasta is a total key-player in these dishes. If you can make it, all the better. if you can't, at least get the best fresh pasta you can find. And if you can't get fresh, the best packaged. And if the best packaged is a store-brand, well... go for it, anyway!
Tagliatelle
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- Coarse sea salt
Special equipment: parchment or waxed paper
Instructions
On a clean work surface, mound flour and form a well in the center. Add eggs and egg yolks to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolks and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.
Divide dough into 3 pieces. Cover 2 pieces with plastic wrap. Flatten remaining dough piece so that it will fit through the rollers of a pasta machine.
Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting, one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is scant 1/16 inch thick.
Cut sheet in half widthwise; dust both sides of sheets with flour. Layer sheets between floured pieces of parchment or wax paper. Cover with paper and repeat with remaining dough.
With the short end of 1 pasta sheet facing you, loosely fold up sheet, folding sheet over two or three times from short ends toward the center. With a large chefs knife, cut folded sheet into ribbons, a scant 1/4 inch wide. Unroll strips and lightly dust with flour; spread on a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets.
To cook the tagliatelle, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl and toss with sauce. (If serving with Ragu all Bolognese, use 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of the sauce.)
It's worth buying a pasta roller. Really.
Oh... and just as an aside... I actually went out and purchased 2 cans of San Marzano canned tomatoes. DOP Italy, the whole bit. I'm going to play heretic here, but neither of us saw them as worth three times more than our normal canned store-brand plums. Yes, they're good, but our fresh-from-the-garden plums are better.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
I've been having a bit of fun in the office... I decided to reformat my computer and bring it back to pristine factory condition. It's 2 years old and hasn't been cleaned up in a while.
It's a necessary evil, but with a bit of patience (not necessarily my strong point) and a bit of planning and orgazization (I do better, here) it's completely doable.
So while I was backing up, deauthorizing programs, moving and deleting, Victor decided that if he wanted to eat, it would behoove him to cook.
I had a pork tenderloin in the 'fridge. A blank canvas. Victor and his artistry went to work.
He combined chopped celery, chopped onion, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, chicken stock, and fresh dates, and a pinch of salt and pepper to make the stuffing. He sliced open the tenderloin and pounded it with a neat mallet to flatten. In went the stuffing, along with some gorgonzola cheese. Into a 350° oven for about 25 minutes.
He made a simple chicken gravy (we had lots of fresh stock) and rice.
Artistry in motion.
As for the computer update...
It's running great, half of the programs are reinstalled, and I didn't curse once!
Tri-Tip and Stuffed Tomatoes
Three's Company!
We have a friend spending the night which always means a little extra twist on dinner. Barb is the first of two weeks of friends visiting. It's really going to be a fun time around the house. LOTS of food, of course. It's what we do.
Which brings us right back to tonight...
We started with a tri-tip roast I cooked on the grill. I did a dry rub with smoked paprika, Hungarian paprika, cumin, garlic, Mozambique Peri-Peri spice - a fiery hot pepper blend - and salt and pepper. I liberally coated the tri-tip and onto the grill it went.
Meanwhile, I oven roasted some potatoes and then, when they were done, coated them with a mixture of 2 tbsp melted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard.
And the tomatoes...
I started by hollowing out three tomatoes from the garden.
I had an orange cauliflower so I took maybe a cup and a half of florets and steamed them until mushy. I mashed them and then mixed in a teaspoon of butter, salt, pepper, and maybe an ounce of smoked cheddar cheese.
I filled the tomatoes and topped them with buttered bread crumbs. Into the oven for 15 minutes at 350°.
It really was a simple meal with just a couple of easy twists.
And right now there's peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream being made.
I love having friends over...
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
It's the chicken that keeps on giving - and it hasn't finished, yet!
Tonight was a gooey, cheesy, smoky, spicy chicken sandwich. Really messy. And really good.
I started off by sauteing a small onion along with a bell pepper and a clove of garlic. When it was all pretty well cooked, I added a chopped tomato from the garden and about a cup of BBQ sauce. (Gates Kansas City BBQ Sauce, to be exact.)
Into the simmering sauce I added a couple cups of shredded chicken and heated it all through.
Onto rolls it went with smoked cheddar on top. I popped it under the broiler to melt the cheese and dinner was served. With fries.
It really was a messy sandwich. It was perfect, though. I ate it over the fries and all the cheesy gooey filling that slid out went onto them. I had chickeny cheese fries with dinner!
And I used lots of napkins.
Roasted Figs
Victor found the perfect dessert. He was watching TV yesterday and somewhere saw figs roasted with balsamic vinegar and topped with a dollop of mascarpone.
Wouldn't you know that we just happened to have all three ingredients in the house tonight?!?
They really are simplicity.
Take about 3 figs per person and cut through in quarters about 3/4 through. You want the figs to stay intact.
Place them in a small buttered casserole, sprinkle with a teeny bit of sugar and drizzle with good-quality balsamic vinegar.
Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes.
Place three figs on each plate and drizzle with the accumulated juices. Place a small dollop of mascarpone cheese in the center of each fig, and serve.
This was really good. The perfect ending to the perfect day.
Creamy Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
I'm trying to rush fall, a bit. I'm ready for the fall foods. Grocery stores are all set up with butternut and acorn squash, gourds have appeared. Mother Nature is taking her time. It was sunny and 78° today. Actually, it was perfect weather. I'm not complaining. Really. I just want to make a pot of soup.
Yesterday, I boiled a whole chicken. I got a gallon of great broth for a few future projects and a full chicken for a few meals. Tonight, I took a bit of that chicken, a bit of that broth, a few mushrooms and some fried hot peppers and a dolop of mascarpone and made a creamy - and ever-so-slightly-spicy - chicken that I served atop mashed potatoes.
It was just the ultimate in comfort foods. Something my mother would have put together to feed the lot of us back in the day.
I hate to admit it, but I actually cleaned that plate.
It was really good.
Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa
Pasta Monday. I have died and gone to Gastronomic Heaven. How can so few ingredients pack such a wallop of flavor? It truly boggles the mind.
First off, I love broccoli rabe. It's a slightly bitter green with an earthy flavor that just works with anything. Sauteed with a bit of garlic and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, it makes a great side dish. Or - as in tonight's dinner - simply mixed with a couple of key ingredients and it really shows off.
Tonight's plate is one of those dishes where the picture just isn't going to do it justice. Visually, it's gorgeous - the most beautiful greens imaginable. Even the orecchiette takes on a slightly shimmering green tone. Contrasted with the white white of the ricotta salada and it's visual perfection.
And then you take that first bite...
The flavors and textures all work with one another perfectly. The bread crumbs add a really great contrast to the pasta and broccoli rabe. Perfect.
This is one of those instances where it's much better that Victor is in the kitchen. I tend to look at a recipe and then start adding things... I could easily see mushrooms and onions and garlic and peppers and lord knows what else being thrown into the pot. But the beauty of this dish is the simplicity. It's the lack of ingredients that makes it so good. And let's face it - restraint is not a word I know well.
I highly recommend it.
Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa – Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
- 1 ¼ lbs broccoli rabe, trimmed
- Salt
- 3 oz guanciale or pancetta cut into ¼ inch cubes
- 6 tbls extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup coarse, plain breadcrumbs
- 1 lb Orecchiette
- 1 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata cheese (3 oz)
Cook broccoli rabe in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes.
Reserving the water, transfer broccoli rabe to a colander, rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out excess water and roughly chop.
In a large skillet, combine guanciale or pancetta and 4 tbls oil, heat over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until it begins to crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes more. Transfer mixture to a large serving bowl (big enough to toss the pasta)
Return skillet to medium heat, add 2 tbls oil and breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring constantly, until breadcrumbs are golden, about 5 minutes then remove from heat.
Return pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and add to bowl with broccoli rabe. Add breadcrumb mixture and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Toss to combine. Moisten with extra pasta cooking liquid, if desired. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese.
This is one that will be made over and over. And who knows... maybe I will play with it a bit. I think this would be good no matter what.
Salsicci con Finocchi e Olive
It was cold and damp today - a perfect excuse for me to sit in the office and work on a website for a fun new friend. And it was a perfect day for Victor to cook dinner!
It's a bit of self-defense on his part... he knows how I can get when I'm focused on a new site and if dinner is to be anything more than hot dogs, he probably needs to cook it.
Well... my clever ruse worked and did he ever create a great dish!
The concept comes from Lidia's Italy cook book. It's a really simple dish of sausage, fennel, and olives. The recipe calls for green olives, but we didn't have any in the house, so he substituted kalamatas. He also added some malloreddus that was left from Monday's dinner to make it a one-pot dish. And cut it for the two of us.
It worked on every level. The combination of flavors and textures was perfect. I broke away from the office long enough to bake a fresh loaf of bread and it was perfect for sopping up every drop of juice on the plate.
If you haven't cooked fennel in a while - or have never cooked fennel - this is definitely the recipe to try.
Sausages with Fennel and Olives (Salsicci con Finocchi e Olive)
from Lidia's Italy
Serves 6Fresh fennel is one of my favorite companions for good Italian sausage. Here meat and vegetables are skillet-cooked, separately and then together, until their flavors are merged and concentrated. It may seem that a lot of fennel is called for, but in cooking it diminishes greatly. Fennel prepared this way is also excellent with any grilled meats; it is even good with grilled fish.
- Sausages 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 sweet Italian sausages (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 6 plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- ¼ teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
- 1 cup large green olives, squashed to open and pit them
- 3 large fennel bulbs (3½ to 4 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Recommended Equipment
A 13- or 14-inch heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, with a coverPour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the big skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Lay in all the sausages; cook them for 5 minutes or more, rolling them over occasionally, until they're nicely browned on all sides. Pour in the wine, and boil until it is reduced by half. Remove the sausages to a platter, and pour over them the wine remaining in the pan.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the empty skillet, toss in the garlic cloves, and cook for a minute or so, over medium heat, until they're sizzling. Drop the peperoncino in a hot spot for a few seconds, then scatter the squashed olives in the pan; toss and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the fennel chunks, and stir them in with the garlic and olives. Season the vegetables with ½ teaspoon salt, cover the skillet, and cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes, tossing and stirring now and then, until the fennel softens, shrinks, and begins to color. Add a bit of water to the pan if the fennel remains hard and resistant to the bite.
When the fennel is cooked through, return the sausages and the wine to the skillet. Turn and tumble the meat and vegetables together, and cook uncovered another 5 minutes or so, until everything is deeply caramelized and glazed. Adjust the seasoning to taste; keep cooking and tumbling the sausages and fennel. Serve piping hot.
And fresh-baked bread...
Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins
I decided we needed muffins. I generally don't eat breakfast before heading off to work, but know that if I get there with an empty stomach, I'm apt to eat whatever is lying about - not a healthy way to start the day. I've been getting better about bringing some fruit and yogurt with me, but if I could get a little something in me to jumpstart the morning...
Enter the muffin!
The recipe comes from Cooking Light. I changed a couple of ingredients around to reflect what I had in the cupboards, but otherwise made them as stated.
They are really good! And easy!
Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins
With four whole grains and three dried fruits, these muffins are a great way to get a variety of antioxidants and fiber. Wheat germ is a good source of vitamin E. Look for untoasted wheat germ in the organic food section of the supermarket. Adding boiling water to the batter and allowing it to sit for 15 minutes before baking allows the hearty oats, wheat germ, and bran to soak up the liquid for a more tender muffin.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons untoasted wheat germ (I used 2 tbsp ground spelt)
- 2 tablespoons wheat bran (I used 2 tbsp ground black barley)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1/3 cup chopped pitted dates (I used 1/3 cup chopped apricots)
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries (I used 1/3 cup currants)
- (I added 1 cup chopped walnuts)
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- Cooking spray
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in oats, dates, raisins, and cranberries. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.
These really worked well. Moist, flavorful, and without a heavy whole wheat taste. I used buttermilk powder and it worked just fine.
I can see many variations on a theme...
Another Road to Morocco
Once upon a time I subscribed to a diet and nutrition magazine. I got the subscription because I read a copy in a Dr's office and it had a recipe for Pumpkin Polenta! (It was a hit. I've made it a couple of times.) But the magazine went totally digital and I lost interest - and kept a few of the printed recipes.
The recipe for the rice is a variation on a stuffed portobello mushroom recipe.
Moroccan Rice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups cooked rice
In skillet, heat 1 tsp oil. Add spices and cook about 1 minute to get rid of the raw taste. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well. Heat through.
The chicken was a variation on a recipe from an old Gourmet magazine.
Moroccan Lemon Chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 small onion, sliced thin
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch cayenne pepper
- grated lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup sliced olives
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup chick peas
Cook chicken in skillet until browned on both sides. Transfer chicken to a plate and reduce heat to moderate. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, and flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in broth, lemon juice and zest, olives, chickpeas, and honey.
Return chicken to pan and simmer, uncovered, until cooked through.
I think the locals would approve...
Steaks on the Barbie
Mushrooms. Gotta love 'em. And add a steak to the equation and you have the perfect meal.
I had a few different mushrooms in the 'fridge, so I cut them all up, sauteed them in a bit of olive oil and garlic, and added a cup of red wine. Cooked the wine down to nothing and that was that! They went perfect atop a nice, rare, filet.
The veggies were yellow squash, zucchini, and tomatoes, sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil and oregano from the garden.
A baked sweet potato finished the plate.
Summer has not quite decided to wind down, yet. Weather is still hot and the grill is still in operation. Fall produce is hitting the stores and I'm starting to think about stews and casseroles.
Soon.....
Alaskan Cod with Asparagus Mashed Potatoes
Thursday Seafood was Alaskan Cod with a Mushroom Ragout and Asparagus Mashed Potatoes. It was really quite simple and would have been totally excellent instead of merely good had I not overcooked it a bit. I got busy and didn't hear the timer go off so it sat in the oven for 10 minutes longer than it should have.
But overcooked or not, it was an easy meal to prepare and serve.
Alaskan Cod with Mushroom Ragout
- 2 6oz cod fillets
- 8 oz assorted mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 cup white wine
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Season cod with a bit of salt and pepper and lay out on oven-proof baking pan. Saute onion until wilted. Add garlic and lightly cook. Add mushrooms and cook well.
Add wine and cook until wine has pretty much evaporated. Add S&P, to taste.
Top fish fillets with mushrooms, grate a bit of cheese on top and place in a 350° oven about 15 minutes.
The asparagus mashed potatoes idea came from Saveur magazine. It calls for white asparagus, heavy cream... I made it with green asparagus and non-fat milk. Came out great. I virtually never peel potatoes for mashing - I like lumps and peel - but did mash them for this. next time I probably wouldn't.
Asparagus Mashed Potatoes
- Russet potatoes
- Asparagus
- butter
- milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
Peel potatoes, cut in cubes, and place in pot with salted water. Chop 1/2-bunch of asparagus and add to potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender.
Drain and mash together, adding butter, milk, salt and pepper.
I roasted a few asparagus to go along with the meal.
All-in-all, it was a success.