Category: Pasta

Spaghetti with Swiss Chard

9/14/2022

By Joshua McFadden “Six Seasons”

Serves 4
½ cup raisins
Red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces spaghetti
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup pine nuts
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 bunch Swiss chard, dried ends trimmed, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn into strips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating

Combine the raisins, a splash of vinegar, and warm water just to cover in a bole and plump for 20 minutes. Drain.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt until it tastes like the sea. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions. Start tasting a minute or so ahead of time so you don’t overcook it. With a ladle or a measuring cup, scoop out about ½ cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta well.
Meanwhile, pour a healthy glug of olive oil into a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts and let them toast very slowly until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes and cook for another 10 seconds so they can bloom, then add the drained raisins.
Increase the heat to medium, add the chard stems, season with a bit of salt and black pepper, and cook slowly until the stems are slightly tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the torn chard leaves and splash of water (use the pasta water, needed), cover the pan, and cook until the leaves are wilted, 2-3 minutes.
Add the drained pasta the butter to the chard and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, or chile flakes. Grate a bit of Parmigiano over everything, drizzle with more olive oil and pile into bowls. Serve with more cheese.

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Pasta Puttanesca

2/1/2022

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Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 ounces anchovy fillets, drained or anchovy paste
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
20 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
3 Tbs capers, rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
A few grinds black pepper
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 pound dry spaghetti
Cold water to cover
1 teaspoon coarse salt

grated cheese for passing

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat with the oil, garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper. Sauté the mixture until anchovies melt into the oil and completely dissolve and garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley. Heat the sauce until it bubbles then reduce the heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.
Prepare the pasta while the sauce is simmering. Combine pasta, water to cover and salt in a 3-quart, high-sided saute pan. (Water should just barely cover pasta). Cover and set over medium-high heat.
When water reaches a boil, remove the lid and decrease heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Stir the pasta every minute or so, making sure the ends of the noodles stay submerged and that they aren't sticking together. Add more water as needed to keep it submerged. Drain when cooked and serve with the sauce. Pass grated cheese on the side.

*Low-carb Pasta Substitution:

1-2 packages Shirataki Noodles-drain, rinse, dry-fry to remove extra moisture (3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally).
Roasted spaghetti squash

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Sausage and Shrimp Fra Diavolo

3/4/2021

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Serves 4

½ pound angel hair pasta
1 pound Andouille-style sausage (or other spicy, cured sausage), sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, slice thin
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 24-ounce bottled tomato sauce (or 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes and 1 6-ounce can tomato paste)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound 26-30 sized raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ cup fresh flat-leafed parsley, chopped
Kosher salt ground pepper to taste
Parmegiano Reggiano, freshly grated

To cook the pasta, bring a large sauté pan filled halfway with water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring occasionally, and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 6-8 minutes. You will see that the pasta will absorb most of the water and the water will become cloudy with the starch from the pasta. Plan to use some of the leftover water to add to your sauce if you like.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan with the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage, onion, and garlic slices. Cook stirring occasionally until the sausage is lightly browned and the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and red-pepper flakes. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and continue to cook, covered, just until the shrimp are opaque, about 4 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce with ½ to 1 cup of the reserved pasta water if a thinner sauce is desired. Cook for 1 minute to allow the pasta to absorb the flavorful sauce. Turn off the heat and add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with parmesan cheese on the side.

Variations:

For a low carb version, serve with cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles instead of pasta
Cook sliced mushrooms with the sausage and onions.
Add black olives (kalamata or oil cured) and/or capers with the diced tomatoes
Add canned artichoke hearts with the diced tomatoes

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Red Wine Pasta with Pancetta

2/9/2021

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Serves 6 entree, 8 appetizer

1-pound thick spaghetti, dry
1 bottle red wine-table wine-not too dry
1-tsp sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ pound pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup freshly grated Italian table cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling on the finished pasta

Fill a large cooking pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 2 Tbs of kosher salt and the dry spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain pasta in colander and return empty pot to stovetop. Dry it with a towel if wet.
Heat oil in the dry pasta pot. Add the pancetta pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain.
Add the crushed red pepper and the garlic to the fat in the pot and cook over low heat. Cook the garlic until it begins to turn light brown on the edges, about 2 minutes.
Add the bottle of wine and the sugar to the garlic in the pot, raise the heat and boil vigorously 2 minutes.
Add the partially cooked pasta. Gently stir with tongs until coated and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine is absorbed, about 6 minutes (pasta will be al dente). Use some of the reserved pasta water if the pan becomes dry.
Add the chopped parsley, grated cheese, the salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with the reserved pancetta. Serve immediately.

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Cheesy Pasta

10/14/2020

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Adapted from Alton Brown's "Cacio e Pepe"

Serves 6
1 pound dry spaghetti
Cold water to cover
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup pasta water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese for serving

Additions: Add any of the following: Cherry tomatoes, cooked chicken, sausage, broccoli, or other vegetable of your choice.

Combine pasta, water and salt in a 3-quart, high-sided saute pan. (Water should just barely cover pasta and measure 1 1/2 inches deep total.) Cover and set over medium-high heat.
When water reaches a boil, remove the lid and decrease heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Stir the pasta every minute or so, making sure the ends of the noodles stay submerged and that they aren't sticking together. Add more water as needed to keep it submerged.
While the pasta cooks, begin the sauce. Combine the Parmesan and the olive oil in a large, deep mixing bowl. Work ingredients together with a whisk until it forms a batter-like sauce.
When the pasta has been simmering for 5 minutes, ladle 1 cup of the cooking water into a measuring cup then slowly drizzle 3/4 cup into cheese paste while mixing until smooth.
After the pasta has been cooking for 10 minutes start checking for doneness; you want it to be just barely al dente (a little bite).
Use tongs to lift the pasta out of the cooking water and allow to briefly drain before adding to the cheese paste. Grasp the pasta with the tongs and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. The pasta will continue to release starch and the sauce will emulsify. Around a minute thirty you will see cheesy water magically transform into a proper sauce. If you find your sauce clumping, add a bit more of the pasta water and continue working the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Portion pasta into bowls, top with reserved parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

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Kale-Sauce Pasta by Joshua McFadden

9/21/2020

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I enjoy creating delicious recipes to share with my students, but when I discover a recipe by another chef I never hesitate to share it. And, when that chef has cookbook that I love, you know I'm going to share that too. Joshua McFadden's book Six Seasons-A New Way with Vegetables has become a favorite, seasonal cookbook for me. You MUST get this book! McFadden has opened my mind and my pallet to so many new flavor combinations and wonderful ways to prepare vegetables seasonally. This recipe is a wonderful example of an easy, beautiful, and delicious recipe I use often. Enjoy!

Makes 4 cups
Kosher salt, to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 cloves garlic, smashed flat and peeled
1 pound kale, thick ribs removed (dark green, curly kale)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound pasta, like pappardelle or rigatoni
¾ cup coarsely grated Parmigiano- Reggiano

Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil.
In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.)
Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.
Add the pasta to the still-boiling water, and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the half of the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water and more kale sauce if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese. Any leftover kale sauce can be frozen.

Additions:
1-pound U26-30 shrimp, peeled and deveined-5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the shrimp to the pasta and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Continue with recipe as written.

More uses for this Kale Sauce

add to any soup
add to any pasta sauce
add cream to the kale sauce and drizzle over pasta, chicken, steak, pork, seafood
spread on sandwiches or wraps
stir into eggs to make kale scrambled eggs
combine with homemade stock to make a soup
add to Asian noodle bowl

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Sesame Soba Noodles with Veggies

2/20/2016

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Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound soba noodles, cooked and drained (follow the package directions)
4 scallions, chopped
1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thinly or 1 bag frozen sliced peppers, thawed
2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil

Place the cooked noodles, veggies, and cilantro in a large bowl.
Whisk the soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
Pour the sauce over the soba noodles and veggies and toss to coat. This can be served warm or cold.

Substitutes and additions:

Use whole grain thin spaghetti or brown rice instead of soba noodles.
Add shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or tofu for more protein.

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Gremolata…the perfect topping

11/12/2015

I featured this recipe on WMUR's Cook's Corner. Click here to see the segment.

Makes 1 ½ cups
Zest of 2 lemons, chopped
4 small garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups fresh Italian flat-leafed parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.

How to serve your gremolata. When using these suggestions, add gremolata to taste.

Toss gremolata with 1 pound of hot linguini, some shredded chicken, and cooked broccoli.
Serve with cooked green beans.
Stir 1 spoonful into a bowl of lamb stew, beef stew, chicken stew, soup, or ossobucco.
Serve with roasted or seared chicken.
Serve with grilled fish.

Pasta alla Carbonara

7/14/2015

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Serves 6

1/2 pound thick cut, good quality bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream at room temperature
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped parsley
ground black pepper to taste
1 lb dried Fettuccini

1. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook 3 minutes until the fat renders. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until the bacon just begins to crisp. Remove the pan from the heat. Keep about ¼ cup of the fat for the pasta, discard the rest. You’ll be adding the bacon with the fat to the pasta dish.

2. In the bowl you’ll be serving the pasta, beat together eggs and cream just until blended. Stir in cheese and set aside.

3. Cook the pasta and drain. Immediately add the hot pasta to the egg mixture and toss together with the bacon and garlic. The hot pasta will help to warm the eggs and create a creamy sauce that will cling to the pasta. Finish the pasta with freshly ground pepper and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

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Zucchini "Pasta" with Herb Pesto

4/2/2015

1 Comment

I am hooked on my spiralizer! Easy to use with beautiful results, this new kitchen gadget is a must for anyone who is looking for an easy way to prepare zucchini that can be a healthy replacement to pasta on the dinner plate. Video

Serves 4
3 small zucchini
½ cup olive oil
2 cups fresh baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat leafed parsley, stems removed, roughly chopped
6 Tbs mayonnaise
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
3 Tbs fresh mint, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup cold water
Salt and pepper
Optional: Add 1/3 cup toasted almonds, pine nuts, or roasted sunflower seeds w/oil, spinach

I use the Inspiralizer to make my spiralized noodles. To spiralize your zucchini, use the attachment with the smaller holes to produce a thin spaghetti like result. The machine will produce one long, long, long strand. Be sure to cut the zucchini strand in a few places to make them easier to serve.
To make the herb pesto, place the oil into the blender or food processor first. This will help to combine the ingredients easier and more smoothly. Add the chopped spinach or arugula, parsley, mayonnaise, rosemary, mint, garlic, and Parmesan cheese (nuts too if using). Process until the pesto is smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add the water if a smoother consistency is desired.
Place the zucchini noodles into a large bowl and toss with enough pesto to coat. Taste, add more pesto and salt to taste.

Serving suggestions:

Toss pesto with hot or room temperature pasta. Add enough pesto to coat the pasta and to taste. If you want to make this "saucier" add some reserved pasta water or water from the tap.
Pesto Ricotta Sauce. Combine 1 cup of the pesto with 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese. Add water to thin if desired.
Add cherry tomatoes that have been cut in half.
Add cooked chicken, shrimp, or scallops for a seafood dish.
Ricotta pesto toast. Toast up some artisan bread and spread with ricotta cheese. Top with pesto for an appetizer.

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Spaghetti with Swiss Chard

Pasta Puttanesca

Sausage and Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Red Wine Pasta with Pancetta

Cheesy Pasta

Kale-Sauce Pasta by Joshua McFadden

Sesame Soba Noodles with Veggies

Gremolata…the perfect topping

Pasta alla Carbonara

Zucchini "Pasta" with Herb Pesto

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