Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [96]
Fresh pasta, up through step 5, can be made ahead and frozen after drying. I place the whole baking sheets with the pasta in the freezer until the pasta is firm, at least 30 minutes. Then I store portions in ziplock bags, as needed, up to 1 month. Boil frozen pasta straight from the freezer (do not defrost).
Conchiglie with Lamb and Minted Yogurt
Lamb’s robust flavors make it a natural partner for character-strong whole wheat pasta. Topped with pan-roasted pine nuts and aromatic browned butter, this pasta is enveloped in minted yogurt, a classic flavor pairing that brightens the dish. This sensual feast comes together fast enough even for a busy weeknight. Serve with sautéed snow peas or spinach and a glass of red wine, and relax. SERVES 4
PASTA
Fine sea salt
½ pound whole wheat pasta shells (conchiglie), or other small whole grain tube-shaped pasta
MINTED YOGURT AND BROWNED BUTTER WITH PINE NUTS
1½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Fine sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup pine nuts
LAMB, AND TO FINISH
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
½ cup minced shallots (about 2 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ pound ground lamb
¼ cup water
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or dried red chile flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt as you see fit and then the pasta, stirring a few times. Return to a boil with the lid on; uncover and cook at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, according to the package directions.
2 While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the minted yogurt. Place the yogurt, mint, and garlic in a small bowl and stir to combine; season with salt to taste. Set aside.
3 Meanwhile, prepare the browned butter with pine nuts. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter emits a nutty aroma and the nuts turn golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the nuts and butter into a small bowl.
4 A few minutes before adding the pasta to the boiling water, prepare the lamb. Add the olive oil to the skillet you used for browning the butter, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they turn fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook until the shallots soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half the ground lamb. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up large clumps, until no traces of pink remain and the meat is nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Push the cooked lamb to the sides of the pan, add the remaining lamb to the center, and repeat. Add the water (so the lamb doesn’t dry out) and the mint. Stir in the Aleppo pepper, pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; remove from the heat. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust; set aside and cover, with the lid slightly askew.
5 To finish, drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Pour the minted yogurt over the pasta and toss to combine. Spoon the lamb on top, followed by the browned butter with the pine nuts; toss and serve at once.
TO LIGHTEN IT UP: Omit the browned butter and toast the pine nuts without any fat. Plus, you can drain (and discard) the fat from the skillet before adding the water at the end of step 4.
Farro: Ancient and Ambrosial
In this day and age, when humble grains are enjoying a chewy comeback on restaurant menus after the lean low-carb years, farro has become the ultimate trendy side dish. No other grain berry has been able to swim along on this current, to ride this tremendous wave of success. Neither rye, nor barley, nor wheat kernels has garnered this much celebrity status on our plates, so far. What is a lover of all whole grains to do? Happily ride along, for a simple reason: farro indeed deserves its stardom.
As I was not raised in Italy,