For the past few years, I have fallen into a pasta rut. I tend to prepare the same tried and true dishes Edward and I have enjoyed for a long time.
Over the summer, when the Lancaster County tomatoes were ripe and bursting with flavor, I made hot spaghetti with raw tomato sauce and fresh basil at least once a week. Or I would cook up some tasty sausages, chop them in the food processor and add a bit of wine and chopped tomatoes, which would simmer for a while in my Le Creuset pot. Spaghetti and meatballs or any type of pasta topped with meat sauce are other favorites. Spinach lasagna, made with fresh sheets of uncut pasta, or spinach lasagna roll-ups usually find their way onto my dinner table as well.
Friends of ours recently returned from a three-week tour of Italy, Sardinia and the south of France. I asked if they would bring me back menus, and to my delight they did. I am using them as guides for new dishes I will prepare at home.
From time to time I will give you recipes that I have developed from these menus for any number of antipasti, pasta, risotto and other entr�es. Let’s begin with pasta because I want to get out of the rut.
Along with restaurant menus, cookbooks are excellent references when you’re looking for new dishes. While rummaging through my fridge last week, I found two containers of small balls of fresh mozzarella, packed in water and fresh basil, and a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano. My pantry is stocked with cartons of chopped tomatoes imported from Italy. I wanted to turn these ingredients into a sauce.
So I pulled out the award-winning Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by my friend Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and found an easy recipe. She suggested mostaccioli or penne, but all I had was spaghetti, orzo and linguine. The spaghetti worked perfectly and the dish was a delicious winner.
Since fall is here, I wanted a pasta that speaks of cool October evenings. I pulled out The Babbo Cookbook by Mario Batali and found a recipe for tagliatelle with parsnips and pancetta. Although we can buy parsnips all year ’round, the best ones appear on the market after the first frost. They are at their peak from October through April. Pancetta, which is unsmoked bacon, can be found in any number of Italian specialty stores.
A favorite fall dessert is a ripe pear with a piece of Italian gorgonzola and a handful of walnuts. Pasta with gorgonzola and walnuts? Why not?
Here are recipes to get you out of the pasta rut.
Mostaccioli with Fresh Basil and Mozzarella
Mostaccioli alla Caprese
Ingredients:
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling over the finished pasta, if you like
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 (35-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with their liquid, seeded and crushed; or 3 cups peeled, seeded and diced ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
1 pound mostaccioli or penne
1 pound bite-sized fresh mozzarella, preferably mozzarella di bufala, cut in half
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup shredded basil leaves
Directions:
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, about two minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Season lightly with salt, bring to a boil and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is lightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, stir the pasta into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally until done, 10 to 12 minutes.
If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and crushed red pepper if necessary.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mozzarella, grated cheese and basil. Serve immediately in warm bowls.
Serves six.
Tagliatelle with Parsnips and Pancetta
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh tagliatelle or linguine
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving
Directions:
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.
In a 12- to 14-inch saut� pan, cook the pancetta over high heat until it is browned and the fat has been rendered, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Add the butter and parsnips and saut� over high heat without shaking the pan too much until they are golden brown and slightly crispy, five to six minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and cook for one minute.
Cook the tagliatelle in the boiling water until tender yet al dente, about two minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the pan with the parsnips and pancetta. Toss over high heat to coat the pasta, adding pasta cooking water if necessary to keep the sauce from getting too tight. Divide equally among four heated pasta bowls, grate Parmigiano-Reggiano over each bowl and serve immediately.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: Dried pasta can be substituted for fresh. Follow cooking directions on the package.
Linguine with Gorgonzola and Walnuts
Ingredients:
1 pound linguine
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, sliced
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt to taste
3 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 pound gorgonzola imported from Italy
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a 12- to 14-inch skillet. Saut� the garlic until golden, about two minutes. Stir on the cream, wine, salt and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Stir in the cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted. Add the pasta and toss well. Add the walnuts and toss again.
Serves four.
