A Word About Shapes: Ok, if you talk to Denny he always says "What difference does the shape make? They all taste the same!" Which of course, is pure Denny - but just not true. Pasta shapes do taste differently because they carry the sauce differently, and because they are denser or lighter, heavier or more delicate, or sometimes just more fun. So experiment with pasta shapes and don't be a Denny about it...and if you have trouble here is a quick guide (for even more information, click on it to see a host of pasta shapes):
A Word About Sauces: In the old days, I used to make the family "gravy" (read:
spaghetti sauce) for days. It took a bare minimum of four hours and sometimes I
would let it continue to simmer and reduce literally for days. Well, I don't do that
anymore. First of all, in some point over all that time, you always seemed to end up
burning the tomatoes and ruining the sauce. Secondly, it just isn't healthy or fresh
tasting that way. The only real reason for letting the sauce simmer that long would be if
you are preparing a batch of gravy meat (meatballs, sausage, braciole, etc.)...and it that
case I do it. However, I freeze those gravy meats to be served with the fresher sauce I
make now. These days, I use fresher vegetables, bigger chunks, and sometimes even (gasp!)
cold sauces that are heated only by the hot pasta. If a sauce takes longer than
15-20 minutes, I'm just not interested. Let me show you how.
TOMATO PASTA WITH AVOCADO SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
1 large very ripe avocado, pitted and scooped from peel
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion (Vidalia is great or Red Bermuda or Leek)
1 cup ripe, good-tasting, peeled and chopped tomato (I prefer home grown, and plum)
1 cup tightly packed chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 ounces fresh tomato pasta
Whole fresh basil sprig for garnish
Freshly grated parmigianno regianno (parmesan cheese...see my Tricks page)PROCEDURE:
Mash the avocado in your actual serving bowl. Toss in onion, tomato, chopped basil, and pepper to taste. Reserve. Cook pasta in 4 quarts boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss in the bowl with the reserved sauce. Generously sprinkle with parmesan. Garnish with basil sprigs.
FUN WITH AVOCADOS
This isn't the only thing you can make with avocados, or the only way to have fun with them...For proof, just go to http://www.calavo.com/consumer/javacado/ to play games like tic-tac-avocado or to pick up a few avocado recipes.
SUPER-QUICK PRIMO SAUCE
This is a quick and easy sauce with approximate amounts --- vary it to taste or
to whatever ingredients you have on hand after making it once or twice to get the idea of
how it's done. It's easy although a bit high on the making pots dirty side.
Put the pasta of your choice into boiling salted water at the same time you
start the sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 large sweet onion (Vidalia, or Red Bermuda)
1/2 Roasted red pepper (or in a pinch just a bell pepper of any color)
1/4 pound thin sliced proscuitto (Italian ham, sort of: say pro-SHOOT-o), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms (regular buttons in a pinch), sliced
whatever else you want that daySauté all of the above in generous amount of extra-virgin Olive Oil. When the veggies are about half way along, add 2 Tablespoons butter (plus more olive oil as needed). After they are nice and golden brown, lower heat to simmer and either:
1. If you have company and want a big show right now you can add 2 oz. of Brandy and ignite or
2. then add (or skip the flames and then add):MORE INGREDIENTS:
1 can (those big, fat cans) Pomidoro Pelati - Italian Plum Tomatoes (semi chop the whole tomatoes right in the can with a knife or stick it in a food processor for a short whir)
1 cup whipping cream
a ladle full of the spaghetti water or chicken stock if you preferAfter you drain the pasta, add 1 cup Romano/Parmesan mixed to the sauce, and plop the pasta on top of it. Toss well and serve with a nice salad and if you happen to have some meatballs or Denny's smoked Italian Sausage in the freezer (see Denny's sausage page ), a couple of those would be good too, but not necessary because of the meat in the sauce. You can (in a pinch only) substitute pancetta for prosciutto but the flavor isn't as good and I would give the pancetta a little longer in the pan. Pancetta is more like bacon, so start with it and after it is cooked a bit add the veggies. Buono Appetito!
MEAT SAUCE VARIATION:
If you want to make this sauce into a classic meat sauce, simply fry up a batch of my Italian sausage mixed half and half with ground round. However, if you do this, substitute more tomatoes for the cream, and I would double the onion and add basil to offset the meat and season it well. OK? ok.
PASTA
& PEAS
A venerable old family tradition, and one that still just hits the spot for certain times.
A personal note: "English" peas to those of your up North are peas.
In the south, for some reason, they seem to refer to beans as peas so they make a
distinction by calling the green peas ENGLISH peas. Just say Green Giant Baby Le
Seure peas. I picked shells for this recipe (or someone way back like my Great Grandmother
did) because the little peas are impossible to pick up with a spaghetti and the shells
hold them inside like a cradle for them. Use shells or little hats.
INGREDIENTS
1 can 8 ounces Shell Pasta, boiled and drained
2-1/2 cups cooked fresh or frozen "English" peas (with or without butter sauce if frozen)
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion (Vidalia or Red Bermuda--starting to sense a theme here?)
2 garlic cloves, minced (or if you have some roasted garlic on hand, it is just WONDERFUL here, use liberally)
1/4 cup olive oil (the best you have)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (or basil, or oregano, or rosemary or combination)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (generous, please)PROCEDURE:
Sauté onion and garlic in combined olive oil & butter for 10 minutes. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Transfer to heatproof serving platter. Cover (if platter has no cover, use foil) and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with generous amounts of freshly grated or slivered (shaved) parmigianno reggiano.
Serves 6 as a side dish, 2-3 as a main course. Serve with a nice bunch of garlic breadsticks or homemade rustic Italian loaf or Chiabatta bread, and a spinach and mushroom salad and kick back and relax in front of the fire with this one.
PASTA
ALA MISIA*
This pasta was named after our friend and long-time houseguest Misia, a student
from England who was here working on her Sports Psychology Master's degree and coached
Krista for a while. She loved this quickie recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces pasta (preferably fresh) your choice of style, cooked and drained
1 large onion, chopped (Vidalia or Red Bermuda, naturally)
2 cloves garlic (or a handful of roasted ones)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter
a bunch of fresh basil, chopped (amount to taste)
salt, pepper, nutmeg
parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
pine nuts (these are available in your spice section and are expensive but nice to add)
beer or white wineAND ANY COMBINATION OF THESE ASSORTED FRESH VEGETABLES:
- artichoke bottoms, sliced-see procedure for doing fresh artichoke bottoms at Veggies
-broccoli florets
-peas or chopped snow peas
-leeks
-carrots
-mushrooms (prefer Italian portobello or porcini or crimini but you can use mixture or plain buttons)
-zucchini
-whatever vegetable that appeals to youPROCEDURE
Sauté vegetables in combined olive oil and butter. Use just enough to keep everything from sticking to the pan. When nicely done and beginning to brown, deglaze the pan with beer or wine, about 1/4-1/2 cup (not too watery - if it is too watery, you can add just a tiny bit of arrowroot and it will thicken back up quickly). Pour over the cooked pasta and sprinkle with parmesan and pine nuts. Enjoy!
PASTA E FAGIOLI (say: Pa-sta
fa-ZOOOL)
OK, a lot of folks think of pasta e fagioli as a soup, but we have always treated it as a
robust sort of a pasta stew, and that is what this recipe is about. If you want to
make it more soup-like, just add a quantity of the chicken stock/white wine mixture to
your desired consistency.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound smallish sized pasta (like ditalini or small elbows or shells)
2 cans Great Northern Beans (I actually prefer Italian Cannellini beans but they can be hard to find)
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1/2" squares) to make about 2 cups
2 cans Chicken Stock (more if you want to make it like soup)
1 cup White Wine
1 large jar prepared spaghetti sauce (I use Barilla when I don't make homemade) or equal amount homemade
1 Tablespoon oregano
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (be generous)
Denny's smoked Italian sausage, sliced into little chunks (OPTIONAL, see Sausage)
PROCEDURE:
Cook the cubed potatoes in the chicken stock/wine mixture, adding the oregano. There is usually enough salt from the chicken stock, so just add fresh ground pepper and taste. You can also cook the pasta in this for extra flavor, but usually, just cook pasta according to package directions while you are cooking the potatoes. When potatoes are fork-tender, add the Great Northern or Cannellini beans to the stock with them, then add the spaghetti sauce. Stir 'til heated. Add in the drained pasta and turn out onto a serving platter. Generously sprinkle with parmesan and stir it in, then add more parmesan to the top. This should be robust and thick, like a stew, with all measurements approximate. Serve with a crusty hearty bread and some Chianti or the rest of the white wine you used to cook with.