Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [111]
Toss the drained, still-warm pasta with the fresh tomato sauce.
Pasta Recommendations
Fresh: linguine, fettuccine, No-Yolk Pasta, and Gnocchi
Dried: any flat noodle; with macaroni, this sauce makes an easy pasta salad
Pasta with Pecan Pesto
This light, untraditional pesto matches well with fresh pasta. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
For the Pecan Pesto:
¼ cup pecan pieces
2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2 garlic cloves, quartered
For the Noodles:
1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
To make the Pecan Pesto, toast the pecans in a dry skillet set over medium-low heat until lightly browned and aromatic, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Pour into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and cool for 5 minutes.
Add the basil, olive oil, water, pepper, salt, cheese, and garlic to the food processor. Close the lid and pulse a few times to break up the chunks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and process until fairly smooth. Alternatively, grind the toasted pecans, basil, pepper, salt, and garlic in a mortar with a pestle; once finely ground, about like cornmeal, grind in the olive oil and water in small splashes, then stir in the cheese.
Pour the pesto over the still-warm noodles.
To store the pesto: Spoon it into a glass jar or a small plastic container, cover with a light film of olive oil, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Pasta Recommendations
Fresh: almost any noodle, although wider-cut noodles give more tooth
Dried: almost any shaped pasta like ziti or farfalle
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Of all the culinary myths, the one about Marco Polo’s bringing pasta back to Italy from the East may be the most persistent. But consider this: in 1279, among the catalog of effects from the estate of a Genoese gentleman, there’s a reference to a basket of dried pasta. Marco Polo didn’t make it back to Venice until 1298. Enough said.
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Pasta with a Sautéed Garlic Sauce
All this simple, traditional Italian dish needs is a glass of red wine, some crunchy bread, and a vinegary salad. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped parsley leaves
So that the garlic begins to infuse the oil even before it starts to cook, put the garlic and the oil in a large skillet, then set the skillet over very low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens and turns golden, about 7 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes, then the cooked pasta. Toss, then remove the skillet from the heat, and sprinkle on the salt and parsley.
Pasta Recommendations
Fresh: thin pasta like cappellini or linguine, Beet Pasta
Dried: any flat or round noodle, preferably a thin noodle like linguine or spaghetti
Pasta with a Roasted Garlic Sauce
The sweetness of roasted garlic melts into the oil to create a luscious sauce. Use only fresh rosemary—dried rosemary won’t have time to soften. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
2 garlic heads, roasted
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the hulls and into a small bowl. Add the salt and pepper; mash with a fork until creamy.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, stir in the mashed garlic puree and let it melt somewhat, stirring constantly. Add the rosemary and cook until fragrant,