Brussels Sprouts And Crispy, Spicy Crumbs Linguine

                                                       

Brussels Sprouts & Crispy, Spicy Crumbs Linguine

Homemade pasta deserves an elegantly simple treatment. Here, toasted bread crumbs and chili flakes add a fiery flavour boost to a simple sauté of caramelized Brussels sprouts and crisp pancetta. You’ll find lots of bold, contrasting flavours and textures thanks to the bread crumbs and homemade pasta with the addition of lemon and fresh herbs. Our Umami Brodo with Parmesan & Porcini (recipe follows) makes an excellent starter to this meal.  Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients:
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
2 tsp (10 mL) chili flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1/2 cup (125 mL) panko bread crumbs
1/4 lb (115 g) pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch (5-mm) strips
2 anchovies, patted dry and finely diced
12 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1 lb (455 g) fresh linguine, made from Rich & Tender Homemade Pasta Dough (recipe follows)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped basil

Directions:
Heat olive oil and butter in a large, wide frying pan. When frothy, stir to mix. Add chili flakes and half of garlic. Stir frequently until garlic softens slightly, about 1 minute. Add crumbs. Stir until toasted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon bread crumb mixture into a bowl leaving excess oil in pan. Pour any excess oil into a separate small bowl and reserve.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, add pancetta to the large frying pan. Set over medium heat. Cook until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a paper towel–lined plate. Add remaining garlic and anchovies to pan. Stir until softened slightly, about 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts. Pour 1 tbsp (15 mL) remaining oil from bread crumb mixture overtop. Stir occasionally until softened and caramelized, 5 to 9 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

Meanwhile, boil pasta until tender and floating up to the top of the water, 1 to 3 minutes. Carefully scoop 1 cup (250 mL) cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta. Turn pasta into pan with Brussels sprouts mixture. Stir in reserved pasta water until nicely coated. Taste and season with salt, if you like. Add pancetta. Divide between bowls. Squeeze lemon juice overtop. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture overtop. Garnish with basil and lemon zest.  Makes 4 servings 

Rich And Tender Homemade Pasta Dough

Spend the afternoon leisurely rolling out your own homemade pasta. It’s a process well worth the time and effort. This basic recipe can be used for traditional shapes like spaghetti, linguine and pappardelle nests or used as a base for making stuffed shapes like our Zesty Cheese Tortellini (recipe follows). You’ll need a pasta roller for this endeavour.
Ingredients:
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) kosher salt
3 eggs
1 yolk
Semolina or all-purpose flour, for dusting

Directions:
Whirl flour with salt in a food processor. Add eggs and yolk. Whirl just until mixed and crumbly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Bring dough together, kneading into a fairly smooth ball and forming into a flattened round disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Cut disc into four equal pieces. Work with one piece at a time, rewrapping the rest tightly with plastic wrap. Using your hands, shape that piece into a small, flattened disc. Dust pasta dough and pasta roller with flour. Using the widest setting on pasta roller, roll out dough 2 or 3 times. Continue to feed the sheet through the roller, reducing the thickness of each round until you have a very long piece about 1/16-inch (1-mm) thick (ideally 6 or 7 on the pasta roller or thinner). Cover with plastic wrap then a dampened cloth (not too wet). Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Cut into long spaghetti or linguine noodles by hand-cutting to your desired thickness. Or roll through a noodle attachment to your preferred width, dusting with flour periodically. Hang dry noodles on a pasta rack. (If you don’t have one, try using your oven door handle.) Let dry 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt until it tastes like the sea, approximately 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) kosher salt. Gently add pasta, swirling with a wooden spoon to separate the noodles. Boil until pasta is al dente; this usually happens once pasta floats to the surface, about 1 to 3 minutes. Drain well before tossing with sauce.
Makes 1 lb (455 g) pasta for 4 servings

Linguine With Shrimp, Cherry Tomatoes, Feta And Mint

                                                     

Linguine with Shrimp, Cherry Tomatoes, Feta, & Mint

This recipe takes the classic Greek dish Garides Saganaki and turns it into a delightful pasta. While Italians would bristle at pairing cheese with seafood, the combination of sweet shrimp, tangy tomatoes and briny feta is undeniably delicious.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lbs (565 g) ripe vine cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints)
1 lb (455 g) dried linguine, preferably Italian
1/3 cup (80 mL) extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb (455 g) shrimp (31-40 count), peeled, deveined
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Crumbled feta and chopped mint to garnish

Directions:
Halve tomatoes through cores. Using the handle of a teaspoon, scoop out seeds and save for vegetable stock. Set tomatoes aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook linguine according to instructions on the package. As soon as you drop the pasta in the water, heat oil and garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Once it starts to sizzle, cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp are just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat while pasta finishes cooking.

When pasta is done, drain and add to pot with sauce. Mix thoroughly with tongs. Taste for salt and pepper.

Transfer to warmed serving bowls. Sprinkle with feta and mint.
Serves 4 to 6

Crab Linguine With Chili And Cilantro

 

Crab Linguine With Chili And Cilantro

A minimal pasta dish like this demands the best ingredients to make it 
shine, so stint on the quality of pasta, olive oil or crab at your peril.
Ingredients:
12 oz (375 g) linguine
⅓ cup (80 mL) olive oil
1 to 2 Thai bird’s-eye chilies, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
8 oz (250 g) flaked, cooked, shelled crab meat, about 1½ cups (375 mL)
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup (80 mL) finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook linguine until al dente, about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add chilies and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Don’t let the garlic colour (reduce heat if it looks like it might). Stir in crab meat, lemon zest and juice. Increase heat to medium-high and bubble for 1 minute.

Drain pasta well, reserving ½ cup (125 mL) pasta water. Return pasta to pot. Add crab mixture and cilantro to pasta and toss well, adding enough reserved pasta water, if necessary, to moisten pasta. Stir in butter until it melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Pasta Primavera With Ham And Mushrooms

 Pasta Primavera

It's hard to beat pasta primavera. But it's even harder to beat a 20-minute pasta primavera that only requires one skillet. Use a frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix to save time and add color, texture, and nutrition. This recipe is one to keep in your back pocket for busy afternoons when there's no time for prep. 

Ingredients 
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces diced low-sodium ham
1 (8-oz.) package sliced mushrooms
1 (1-lb.) bag frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix, thawed
1 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock
3 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup thinly sliced basil

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add ham. Sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to pan; cook until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Add vegetable mix and stock; bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta, cream cheese, and pepper until melted and mixture is creamy.

Serve pasta in shallow bowls; top evenly with Parmesan and basil.

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Lemon Linguine With Shrimp

Lemon Linguine With Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 box spaghetti or linguine (reserve ½ cup of the cooking water when done)
1 lb small or medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

*

Directions:

Boil pasta until cooked through, saving the ½-cup of liquid when you drain it.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the olive oil, then the shrimp.

Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic.
Heat the garlic and shrimp together for a couple of minutes.

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and pasta water.
Stir everything together until everything combines to a smooth, balanced sauce.

Toss the cooked pasta with the shrimp and sauce, then sprinkle in the parsley.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then mix it all thoroughly.
Serve right away.

Linguine With Caramelized Lemon And Pepper Flakes

Linguine With Caramelized 

Lemon And Pepper Flakes

You probably already have a favorite pantry pasta dish that you habitually whip up when there’s nothing in the house for dinner. Next time, try this one instead. It has all the usual players – olive oil, Parmesan, flaky sea salt — along with fried lemons for brightness and chile flakes for heat. Don’t skip the step of blanching the lemon slices before frying. It may seem fussy, but it eliminates any bitterness in the lemon pith and takes only a few extra minutes. Then dry the lemon slices well before adding them to the hot oil; this helps them brown more deeply.

Featured in: Weeknight Dinner Success Starts With Lemon, Olive Oil And Salt. 

Lemon, Linguine, Parmigiano Reggiano

1633 ratings

Ingredients:

4 lemons
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
Pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon chile flakes, more to taste
⅔ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, more to taste
Black pepper, as needed
½ cup celery leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)
⅓ cup parsley, coarsely chopped (optional) 

Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Preparation:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Finely zest 2 of the lemons and set aside. Trim the tops and bottoms off the other 2 lemons and cut lengthwise into quarters; remove seeds. Thinly slice the quarters crosswise into triangles. Blanch the lemon pieces in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a dish towel. Blot dry. 

In the boiling water, add pasta and cook until just barely al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Add the dried lemon pieces and season with a pinch each of salt and sugar. Cook until the lemons are caramelized and browned at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 

Melt the butter with the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the chile flakes and zest of both lemons; cook until fragrant. Whisk in the reserved pasta water. 

Toss in pasta, juice of 1 lemon, cheese, pepper and the remaining salt. Cook until pasta is well coated with sauce. Toss in the caramelized lemon and the celery leaves and parsley if using. Taste and add lemon juice if needed. Serve, topped with a drizzle of oil, more cheese if you like, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Linguine al Limone with Grilled Chia-Chicken Meatballs

Linguine al Limone With 

Grilled Chia-Chicken Meatballs

Chia gel replaces eggs in this recipe, helping keep these chicken meatballs light and fluffy. The sauce is creamy and lemony, a combination that simply melts in the mouth. As an option, try spinach linguine, which pairs nicely with the flavors in this dish and looks beautiful.

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup white chia seeds

1⁄2 cup purified water

1 pound ground chicken
3⁄4 cup rolled (old-fashioned) oats
1⁄3 cup coarsely grated or minced red onion
1⁄3 cup plus 1⁄4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

     cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano, or 1⁄2      

   teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1⁄2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces whole grain linguine
1⁄3 cup half-and-half
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons thinly sliced or chopped fresh basil (optional)

*

Directions
In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the chia seeds and water and let stand for about 20 minutes. (Makes 3⁄4 cup extra-thick chia gel.)

Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill, or preheat the oven to 475°F.

In a large bowl, use your hands to evenly combine the chia gel, ground chicken, oats, onion, 1⁄4 cup of the cheese, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the parsley, oregano, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. When evenly combined, firmly form mixture into 20 meatballs (about 3 tablespoons each).

Grill over medium heat until well done and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes, rotating only as needed.
Alternatively, line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet and roast until well done, about 20 minutes. Insert 4 (10-inch) skewers into cooked meatballs, 5 meatballs each. If necessary, keep warm in 175°F oven while preparing linguine.

Cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 3⁄4 cup pasta cooking water.

Bring the half-and-half, the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and reserved pasta water to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Add the remaining 1⁄3 cup of cheese, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of black pepper and toss to combine.

Transfer the linguine to four large pasta bowls. Top each with a skewer of chicken meatballs, sprinkle with basil and lemon zest, and serve.

Pasta With Clams

Gnocchi With Clam Sauce Linguine With Clam Sauce

Yesterday I posted photos of men and the labor intensive gathering of the small clams used for a pasta sauce. As promised, these are the two dishes served in a restaurant of pasta served with the clam sauce.