Tag: pecorino romano
Alaskan Cod with Spaghetti and Arugula
This meal is ideal to if you are trying to be healthy for the new year. I recently wrote and article for the New York Times Local blog and featured this recipe. I was trying to follow a few new eating habits for the New Year and this recipe was a fabulous way to begin.
I tried using brown rice pasta for the first time and it was a big hit. The consistency is a bit different- it is much softer, mushier and so you have to be careful while cooking. You need to use ample water when cooking the pasta. My husband and daughter were thrilled to eat this spaghetti. I thought the taste was different and I have to say, I missed the ‘pasta’ taste but since I had covered the pasta with some delicious homemade tomato sauce- it was just fine.
The mound of pesto covered arugula was a genius idea- yes I am not very modest… Anyway, the greens on top of the pasta looked beautiful and tasted even better. Since arugula is tough enough to be cooked, I placed the simply cooked piece of fish right on top. It looked like a fancy meal served at an expensive restaurant.
I was very pleased with myself. The best part was that I didn’t feel grossly full after eating the meal. I skipped the wine and had a glass of water.
Try the sauteed cod with the brown rice pasta with healthy arugula on top- it is outstanding.
- 3 to 4 cod fillets, about 5 ounces each
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a wide, non-stick frying pan. Add the fish filets and sprinkle salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side on high heat or, till the fish is opaque and flaky. Keep warm.
- Half pound brown rice spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 2 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce
- Heat the tomato sauce in a wide saucepan. Add the cooked pasta in the sauce and mix well. Keep warm.
- 3 to 4 cups fresh arugula (depending on how many fish filets you have)
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated (with a vegetable peeler)
Add the arugula in medium bowl. Add the pesto and mix well. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Serve the dish by placing a serving of spaghetti in a wide bowl. Top the pasta with a cup of arugula mixed with pesto and cheese. Then, top with the cod fillet.
Paola’s Fresh Tomato Sauce with Fresh Broccoli Rabe Ravioli
I have wanting to make this sauce since we returned from Italy. This was one of the dishes Paola made in our kitchen at the apartment. She started by buying the most beautiful red tomatoes I have seen. The sauce itself doesn’t really have many ingredients. Good tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil (from her back yard), garlic and salt. The reason the sauce and pasta were so good- the ingredients were impeccable. My daughter who doesn’t like chunky sauces thought it was the best pasta she had ever tasted.
Once we got home, I started thinking how to replicate this sauce. I can’t compete with those tomatoes and the ultra fresh extra virgin olive oil. I bought a few heirloom tomatoes, some baby roma tomatoes (plum) and I had a bunch from my backyard. I cut all of them up and cooked them with olive oil and garlic. I cooked them for a while till the tomatoes began to break down and soften. Instead of serving the sauce with linguine like Paola did, I decided to buy fresh raviolis from Whole Foods- I found broccoli rabe raviolis. I was very excited about them since broccoli rabe is one of my favorite ingredients.
Since I was serving the sauce with the raviolis, I decided to smooth it out in a food mill. Once that was done, I noticed all the seeds- the sauce looked rustic and it was fine, but I decided to add another step and strained it. Out came the most luscious, delicious sauce I have ever made. It was totally worth the extra work.
The ravioli dish was a big success. Everyone really enjoyed it and there was no left over. My plan is to buy 5 or 6 pounds of heirloom tomatoes and make a big batch of tomato sauce before the season is over. I can enjoy it in the winter season and look forward to summer again!
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Dill and Pistachio Pesto
We were going to my cousin’s house for the weekend for a birthday celebration. She called to discuss the menu for the special dinner we were planning on cooking for the family. Since they live so close to the shore, we decided to cook seafood- salmon and scallops came to mind.
We decided to keep it simple and marinate the seafood in olive oil, lemon juice and salt. I began the thinking process for two sauces or pestos to serve with the main entrees. With the scallops I thought of a fruit chutney of some kind; and for the salmon, dill came to mind.
I came up with a dill and pistachio pesto for the fish. I roasted the pistachios and processed them with some garlic. I then added fresh chives and parsley. I used the parsley to bring some freshness to the pesto and to tone down the dill flavor. Like a regular pesto I added olive oil, cheese and some lemon juice. I prefer pecorino cheese, so I used it in here as well.
The pesto turned out absolutely delicious. It complemented the salmon really well. The dill flavor came through loud and clear but it was not over powering. The creamy pistachios were a perfect match with the dill and lemon flavor.
We cooked the salmon very simply in the oven and served the pesto on the side. It was a big hit with the scallops and the mango and nectarine chutney- will post the recipe soon.
- 1 cup pistachios, roasted
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
In a processor, add the pistachios and garlic. Process for 30 seconds. Add the dill and parsley. Start the processor and gradually drizzle the olive oil. Process till everything is incorporated. Take out in a bowl and add the salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and the pecorino cheese. Mix well and refrigerate.
Quick and Easy Pesto Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
I love anything made out of pesto. It’s my favorite thing to have around and use in a pinch. Since it has all the yummy ingredients I would normally cook with, it’s easy to add a dollop of it on anything. My favorite way of eating pesto is making a shrimp pasta with lots of pesto and more fresh basil on top. Shrimp and pesto are a match made in heaven- really, you should try it. I always have shrimp in the freezer- and on days when I am all out of ideas and don’t have a lot of time to cook- the pesto and shrimp come out. A nice salad on the side and some garlic bread with a yummy bottle of red- what else do you want??
Last summer I tried making a big batch of pesto to freeze for the winter- but it was a disaster. I harvested the basil too late which made it extremely bitter. All my hard work went down the drain- I was not happy. I was off making pesto for a while and yes I was buying it from the store. The store bought versions are actually quite good. For people who are working all day and don’t have time to make their own pesto- store bought is a great option- I would highly recommend it. Having a container of pesto in the fridge is very handy- it makes a great condiment for sandwiches; a big dollop on a piece of fish with a salad is a great lunch; meatballs with pesto are delicious and easy; pasta with mushrooms and pesto is out of this world- this list goes on and on.
We were going out for dinner and I wanted to eat a light lunch at home. There was nothing made in the fridge and I decided to go outside to harvest my yummy looking tomatoes. While out there, I noticed the basil plants thriving. I decided to bring some inside and make a pesto- a small quantity, just enough for the meal. I cut the tomatoes in half and remembered the green beans in the crisper. I blanched and added them to the mix. I had frozen fresh pasta which I decided to use. The whole thing came together in just a few minutes. The pesto was absolutely delicious and so was the salad. There were a few pieces of leftover chicken from a restaurant which worked out very nicely with this dish.
I think this would be a great accompaniment to any barbecue or nice just by itself for a light lunch. Grilled shirmp or chicken would taste delicious in this dish as well- again sky is the limit- enjoy!
Easy and Fast Pasta Recipe: Seafood Pasta
I love pasta- in all forms and in different preparations. I make it all the time, I especially love the one pot meals I come up with. They are so easy to put together and great to serve to a big crowd- all the prep work is done- all you have to do is stick it in the oven. View some of these one pot meals I have made in the past- healthy mac and cheese, penne with tomatoes, spinach and sausage, and a baked vegetable pasta. My all time favorite pasta is the one I make with broccoli rabe and sausage – I make with lots of lemon zest and garlic- it has no marinara sauce. Now, every time I make this pasta, my husband asks, “is there any marinara sauce “? I get very annoyed at the question since I feel the pasta has so much flavor that we don’t really need a ‘sauce’. Also, there are delicious pastas to be had without marinara sauce! – but he loves the red sauce so much that he wants it in every pasta preparation. So, when I made a big batch of marinara sauce last weekend, I made sure to save some for a pasta preparation. I used the rest in the grilled pizzas I made.
School is done and my daughter is home this week before camp starts. We had plans to go into New York City for lunch. We had a great lunch, went to a kid’s bookstore and came back around 3:30. While we were on the train coming home, I started to wonder what I was going to make for dinner. I had the marinara sauce in the fridge and some bucatini in the pantry. I love using bucatini- it is thicker than spaghetti and it is hollow inside. It’s a lot of fun to eat. I decided to stop at the fish store and buy some shrimp and scallops to make a seafood pasta. Once we got home, my daughter insisted on going to the pool- so we did- even though it was supposed to rain- and it did! We got home around 5:30 and that is when I started making dinner. Luckily it was going to be a quick one. I boiled the pasta; started the anchovies in another pan and added the marinara sauce. It took all of 15 minutes to make this dish and it was delicious! My daughter really enjoyed it.
I realize most Italians don’t add any cheese on seafood dishes- but I really like cheese on mine. I added some Pecorino Romano– it was really yummy! I served it with a green salad and a Malbec. My husband was a happy man- he finally got his pasta with marinara sauce!