Orecchiette with Lemon and Spring Vegetables (and a Pea Hunt)

 

I really, really wanted to make this pasta, as evidenced by the fact that James and I went to THREE markets to find the sugar snap peas this morning. It was one of those silly and exasperating things in life. When the second store didn't have them, I almost threw in the towel. I mean two stores, neither of which had a very common ingredient that they always carry? Hmph. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. But upon further thought, I felt like the universe was asking me, "So Shawn, just how far are you willing to go to get those little peas of yours?", and the idea of heading home defeated was horrible. So I persevered and found my peas. And I am soooo glad I did. This pasta lunch was delicious. Not only was it the perfect way to enjoy some homemade ricotta I made a few days ago, it was also a lesson in not giving up too soon on something you have your mind set on. I know - a bit deep for the middle of a Monday afternoon, but hey...like a lot of things in life, this pasta was worth the effort.

                    14 oz. orecchiette pasta

                    1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed

                    1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed

                    juice of 1 lemon

                    1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

                    3 tablespoons olive oil

                    1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (to make you own click here)

                    1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

                    sea salt and cracked black pepper

Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Cook the beans and peas in a saucepan of simmering water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and add to the pasta. Add the lemon juice and zest, oil, ricotta, parsley, salt, and pepper and toss well to combine. 

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings. 

 

                   

Adapted from Donna Hay.

Peppery Pasta Carbonara

 

Dan and I are on the third day of not eating refined sugar for two weeks (something we cruelly impose upon ourselves regularly), and the first few days are always the hardest. So, I figured a naughty treat like pasta carbonara was in order. Although to be honest, this isn't really that naughty, and I'm not sure an Italian would call this true carbonara, as there was no egg used to cook the pasta in, nor did we use guanciale or pancetta. No, folks....this was weeknight counterfeit carbonara with....(gasp!) whole wheat spaghetti. I know. Sinfully inauthentic. Sacrilege. Blasphemy. Quite good, though.

The recipe used was one adapted from Gourmet, and it called for bacon as a quick alternative to guanciale. I found some organic, hormone and antibiotic-free, humanely raised (yes, important to us if we're going to eat meat) bacon at Henry's, and decided on the whole wheat spaghetti because we aim to eat whole grain as often as possible, and actually, it tastes better to me. We made a couple of minor changes, like omitting the poached egg on top and not cooking the pasta in the leftover bacon fat (!). 

The result was gratifying, and dare I say heavenly? Although to be fair, you could wrap bacon around some cardboard and I'd probably eat it. For my veggie friends, I'd recommend adding sauteed broccoli rabe or something along those lines. Maybe even fresh peas when they're in season. Mmmmm.

We opted for a simple salad of greens and heirloom cherry tomatoes on the side to keep things light. Well, okay, to make ourselves feel a little better about eating a dish with bacon, butter and a bit of cream. 

                    5 bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces

                    1/2 package whole wheat spaghetti

                    3/4 tablespoon unsalted butter

                    1/4 milk or soy milk (unsweetened)

                    1 tablespoon cream

                    2/3 cup grated Parmesan plus additional for serving

                    1/4 teaspoon pepper

                    2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain it well and shake off any excess water.

Melt the butter into the skillet used to cook the bacon. Add the spaghetti, milk, cream, and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and almost completely absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bacon and parsley and toss. If you feel that the mixture is too dry, feel free to add a splash of olive oil, although we didn't find this necessary. Add the cheese during the final moment of cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Revel in the joy of buttery, creamy pasta.

Repent in the morning.


Makes 2 servings.

Adapted from Gourmet, October 2009.