Recipe: Spaghetti with Anchovies and Bread Crumbs

Spaghetti with Anchovies and Bread Crumbs

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil

8-12 anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil, coarsely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced

1 small shallot, peeled and finely chopped

red pepper flakes, to taste

1 lb spaghetti

2 oz fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted, tossed with 1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

freshly grated pecorino cheese.

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt water and add pasta.

In a heavy gauge skillet, heat 4 Tbsp olive oil until hot, but not smoking.  Add anchovies to the pan and with a wooden spoon, mash them until they dissolve into the oil.

When the anchovies have completely dissolved, add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook several minutes, until the the vegetables are translucent.

When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.  

Add pasta to the sauce, with reserved cooking liquid, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Heat mixture over a low heat, gently tossing until just heated through. To finish, stir in bread crumbs.  Serve with freshly grated pecorino cheese.  

Recipe: Tarte au Citron

Tarte Au Citron (Lemon Tart)

Adapted from a recipe by David Lebovitz

Yield: serves 6-8

Ingredients

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon* juice

1/2 cup sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 pre-baked, 9 inch tart shell  (I used this recipe.)

Preparation

In a non reactive sauce pan, heat lemon juice, sugar and butter.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks together.  

When the butter has melted, add several tablespoons of the lemon mixture to the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Return the warmed egg mixture to the sauce pan, and incorporate well.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.

Pour the curd directly into the prepared tart shell. Smooth with an off set spatula.  Place the tart into the pre heated oven for about 5 minutes to set.

*Meyer lemon, lime or key lime juice can be substituted.  Adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.

Recipe: Broccoli Quiche

Broccoli Quiche

Yield: 6 servings, 

Ingredients

small bunch of broccoli, blanched and roughly chopped

1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced

4 jumbo eggs

1 cup heavy cream (may substitute 1 cup skimmed evaporated milk for low fat option)

6 ounces grated Gruyere cheese

freshly ground nutmeg, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

9 inch tart shell, well chilled

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375F

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cream until well blended.  Season custard with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange half of the grated cheese on the bottom of the tart shell, followed by the broccoli and shallots.

Pour the custard over the vegetable.  Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

Bake the quiche until the custard is golden, puffed and set approximately 40 minutes. (The custard is set when an inserted knife comes out clean.)

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Swiss Chard with Bacon

Swiss Chard with Bacon 

Yield:  4 servings, as a side dish 

Ingredients 

6 oz slab bacon, cubed

1 large shallot, peeled and diced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 bunches swiss chard, stems and chards roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large, heavy gauge skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat; reserve the additional fat for another use.

Add the shallot and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat until translucent.

Add the chicken stock to skillet, and bring to a boil. Deglaze the pan -- making sure to dislodge any brown bits remaining on the bottom of the pan.

Add swiss chard to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (If the stems are large, cook them for approximately one minute before adding the chards.)  Cook until the chards are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

This dish can be served as a side dish, or as a main dish served over yellow rice.

Recipe: Pasta with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Pasta with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Yield: Serves 4

 Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

1  large onion, peeled and chopped 

4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced 

1 teaspoon of dried oregano, or to taste

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

6 hot Italian sausage, casing removed 

6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 large bunch of basil, stems removed

salt and pepper to taste 

1 pound linguine, cooked al dente

Approximately 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Preparation

Heat oil until hot, but not smoking. Sauté chopped onions and garlic until soft. Sprinkle the red hot pepper flakes and oregano over the onion mixture.  Cook until the spices sizzle and smell aromatic, about 30 seconds. 

Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the meat into bite size pieces. Brown the meat until completely cooked through.  Drain excess fat from the pan.

Add the chopped tomatoes and basil to the meat mixture.  Simmer on medium high heat, uncovered, until the tomatoes soften, 5-10 minutes. Add the reserved pasta water to the pan and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (The excess liquid will be absorbed by the pasta during the final step.)

Add the cooked pasta to the pan; cook for several minutes until the excess liquid is absorbed.

Serve the pasta with a drizzle of high quality olive oil and grated Pecorino Romano cheese.