Tag: pasta recipes

Bucatini with Salted Pork and Shrimp

½ cup salted pork, cut into chunks less than ½- inch

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped

28 ounces can of San Marzano tomatoes

½ pound medium shrimp, deveined and cleaned

Salt

½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

½ pound cooked bucatini, cooked al dente with 1 cup spare pasta water

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a wide skillet with the olive oil and salted pork and fry over low heat for 15 minutes or till the fat is rendered out and the meat is crisp. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion and garic and sauté over medium heat for five minutes. Crush the tomatoes with hand in the can and add to the onion mixture. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat with the lid on. Check for seasonings and add salt and the red pepper flakes.

Add the raw shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the al dente pasta and cook on medium for another 2 to 3 minutes, till the shrimp is cooked through- careful not to over cook. Check for seasonings and garnish with parsley.

Pasta Cinghiale- My Version

Our favorite dish to order at our favorite Italian restaurant (Arturo’s) is pasta cinghiale… it is really, really delicious and if I close my eyes, I am transported to Umbria where wild boar dishes are in abundance. I have tried to make this dish at home before but this time I found wild boar sausages and decided to use them to replicate my favorite dish…

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ pound wild boar sausage, casings off, crumbled
3 garlic cloves, chopped
10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, chopped
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt
½ to 1 cup pasta water
½ pound penne, cooked al dente

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till golden brown. Take the sausage out with a slotted spoon and add the mushrooms and more olive oil if needed. Saute on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Add cooked pasta, cream, pasta water and salt to taste. Bring to a gently boil and turn heat off and serve.

Pasta with Spring Peas and Pancetta

The pasta theme continues with a very simple and delicious pasta with a bit of pancetta and lots of peas- yummy and quick!!!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce
Salt
2 cups frozen peas
½ cup chives, chopped
½ pound cooked pasta with 1 cup pasta water
½ cup Grana Padano cheese, grated

Heat a large frying pan with the pancetta and oil. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and salt and cook on a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the peas, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Add the chives, pasta and pasta water if needed. Mix well and cook till the sauce is thickened. Season with salt and garnish with cheese.

Pasta with Sausage with a Pea and Basil Pesto

This is delicious way to sneak vegetables into the pasta dish without anyone knowing!!! This is a simple and quick dish to make through the week!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 fresh sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
½ pound pasta, cooked with 1 cup of pasta water spared
Salt

Pea and Basil Pesto

1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
Juice of one lemon

Transfer peas to some boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds and take out. Transfer the pine nuts and garlic to a food processor and give it a few pushes, add the peas, cheese, basil, oil and lemon juice. Process it till the mixture forms a smooth paste. Take out and check for seasonings. Keep aside.

In the meantime, heat a wide skillet with the olive oil and add the crumbled sausage. Saute on medium heat till the sausage is golden brown. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the cooked pasta with the pasta water and bring to a boil. Add salt as needed and serve the pasta with a dollop of pesto on top.