Category: Pasta

Pantry Staples

May 25, 2009

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Lots of cookbooks these days seem to start with a chapter on pantry staples.  These are things that you want to always have on hand so you can – voilà! – cook up an amazing meal without a trip to the store.  I agree with this theory and I have a pantry and I have a lot of pantry staples.  I am not, however, turning out incredible meals with what I have on hand.  Produce figures in strongly in most of my meals and if you buy a lot of produce you know, it doesn’t last long.

That said, I think this was a great meal and it could easily become a go-to recipe for me.  There are two only perishable things in this pasta.  One is parsley which I always seem to have in my refrigerator and the other is feta cheese.  Feta has an incredibly long refrigerator life span so next time you see it on sale, buy a few.  Do yourself a favor and buy good feta – one that comes in a block and not in a tub.  The pre-crumbled stuff tastes like sawdust to me.

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One Year Ago:  Niçoise Tartines with Peperonata

Greek Pasta Casserole
Adapted from Vegetarian Classics
Serves 4-6

1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound small pasta shells
1 (15 oz.) can ready-cut diced tomatoes with their juice
1 (7 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, well drained and diced
1/4 cup pitted and roughly chopped black olives (DT: I used Kalamata)
2 tbsp. red wine
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup (about 5 oz – but use more if you like!) crumbled feta cheese

1.  Bring a large quantity of water to boil in a stockpot.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds; do not let it get at all colored.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

3.  Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until very al dente, soft but not quite cooked through.  It will continue to cook in the oven.  Drain thoroughly in a colander and place back in the pot.  Pour on the garlic oil and toss well.  Let cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally to prevent sticking.

4.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5.  Mix in all the remaining ingredients.  Place in a shallow 3-quart casserole (such as a 13×9 inch pan).  Cover with foil.  (The pasta can be assembled and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance.  Bring to room temperature before baking.)

6.  Bake, covered, for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes to lightly brown the top of the casserole.


Category: Main Course, Pasta
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Inspired by San Francisco

April 9, 2009

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Last summer, when Randy and I went to Portland for my birthday, I obsessed about where to eat.  I cross-referenced  Chowhound, magazine articles, and advice from friends.  I whittled our choices down to five restaurants and chose the winning two based on their menus.  I did a good job.

For last weekend’s trip to San Francisco, I didn’t work nearly as hard.  I think I was a little overwhelmed by sheer number of choices, seeing as SF is one of the country’s – if not the world’s – great food cities.  I think I was also just so thrilled to be having a weekend away that the food (gasp!) wasn’t really my focus.  I had some recommendations and would probably have looked into them, but then my monitor died and, well, I was lost without being able to get online.  So I called the concierge of our hotel and asked for his help.

Let me just say that soon after I started this blog, I realized that I was not going to be writing restaurant reviews here for a few reasons.  One is that I almost always find restaurant meals disappointing.  I figured after a few cycles of complaining about how vegetarians get the short end of the stick in restaurants, people would start to snore.  I also figured that many of my readers would not live in Seattle and would therefore not really care about the restaurants where I am consistently disappointed.  So, I did not take notes on the food I ate in San Francisco and can’t tell you with much precision about what I ate, except for one dish which I decided to recreate.

What I can tell you our dinner meals were wildly different experiences.  I can also tell you that I finally have realized that, when it comes to eating out, I would much rather go to the great neighborhood place, rather than the fancy schmancy place.  Friday night was at a place called Spruce.  The place had a very cool vibe, although they seated us in the back room which, while nice and quiet, was a bit like being in a ship’s stateroom.  The food was refined, lovely, and expensive.  They brought out main courses out on gorgeous wide extremely shallow bowls, and there was a lot of white plate.

Saturday night, we had tickets to see Beach Blanket Babylon which a friend had recommended.  We needed to eat somewhere close by and the concierge sent us to Ideale Restaurant.  This was a total neighborhood joint with big personalities and big food.  Our portions were easily double the previous night, the prices were half, and everything we ate, we liked.

When we first arrived, we sat at the bar to wait for our table.  The bartender brought a dish of pasta out to the woman next to us that looked and smelled divine.  It was orecchiette with what looked like a super chunky basil pesto and a flurry of Parmesan cheese.  I knew what I was ordering.  But it turned out that the chunky pesto was actually broccoli rabe that had been cooked down until almost melted, and the cheese was Pecorino Romano.  It was quite delicious but I couldn’t seem to reconcile what my brain was telling me it looked like and what my tastebuds were telling me it tasted like.

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So, I decided to make something like it for myself.  I looked in three different stores and couldn’t find orecchiette (which is shaped like a little ear) so I just used these giant radiattore I had in the pantry.  I chose to add chickpeas because I love them and because I feel like I’ve seen broccoli rabe and chickpeas together in other recipes.  I contemplated adding pesto, since that is what I thought I would be tasting, but decided it would overpower the dish.  Instead, I just added some fresh basil at the end.  The verdict?  Quite delicious if I do say so myself.  I like my food spicy so I would perhaps up the red pepper next time.  If you are not a spice fan, the recipe below will be just fine for you.

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Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Chickpeas
Dana Treat Original
Serves 4-6

I cooked the broccoli rabe down until it was quite soft and almost falling apart, which is what they did at the restaurant.  If you would like a little more texture, cook until just tender.  In the photo, you will notice some fresh peas which I added because I had some rolling around my produce drawer.  I don’t think they added that much so I didn’t include them in the recipe below.

Olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch long pieces
1 cup vegetable stock
1 lb. short pasta
1 14 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus additional for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add butter and just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Throw in the shallot and garlic and saute until softened, 2-3 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes.  Add the broccoli rabe, give it a good stir, then pour in the vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.  Allow to cook until the broccoli rabe is tender.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.

Right before the pasta is done, add the chickpeas to the broccoli rabe, followed by the basil and the cheese.  Stir well.  Using tongs or a spoon, add the pasta directly to the chickpea mixture, tossing well.  (Alternatively, you can drain the pasta in a colander and add it from there.)  Serve in shallow bowls with additional cheese grated over the top.


Category: Beans, Dana Treat Original, Pasta, Travel
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Pasta with a Side of Memories

March 19, 2009

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I made this pasta the other night to go with the garlic bread and roasted tomato caprese. Although this is only the second time I have made it, I can honestly say it is a favorite of mine. It has so many delightful flavors and textures and it is very versatile. Parts of it can be made in advance, and the whole dish can be made a day ahead without suffering any ill effects.

This dish comes from a cookbook called From the Earth to the Table which was written by John Ash, one of the pioneers of California wine country cooking. This cookbook is not vegetarian, although over half of the recipes are meat-free, and it is one that I turn to over and over, especially when I am craving exceptionally fresh and flavorful food. Ash has a fabulous restaurant in Santa Rosa – just north of the Napa Valley – where I was lucky enough to have a lovely, if solitary, meal.

I’m sure we all have some time in our lives that we would like to, if not forget, then to go back and live differently. Mid-1998 to the end of 2000 was like that for me. I went through a messy divorce, began a relationship with a not-so-good guy, and worked at a job that I hated. In March of 2000, I quit my job and took a road trip to clear my head. First, I went to Arizona to visit the not-so-good guy, but after that the trip got much better. I spent a few days in L.A. with my dear friend Karen, I flew to Mexico on a free ticket, and once back in the States, I slowly meandered my way up the West Coast enjoying the incredible scenery on offer.

For the most part, I ate very cheaply, but I did splurge at John Ash. I dressed up, brought my book, and treated myself to a nice dinner. I don’t remember what I ate, although I do remember that I was blown away by how fresh and tasty everything was. I remember that I was reading The Grapes of Wrath – savoring every word on the page – and I remember that I wished I had a date across the table from me. I did not wish it was the not-so-good guy.

A week or so later, I arrived back in Seattle. It took me another month or two, but I did break it off with the not-so-good guy. A few months later, I met my husband who has been a wonderful dinner date every since.

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A few words on the recipe. The first time I made it, I used fresh cranberry beans that I bought at the Farmer’s Market. Sadly, I don’t have any left in my freezer, so I just used good canned cannelini beans and they blended in beautifully. Ash suggests that the sun-dried tomatoes are optional, I think they are essential both for color and flavor. I made some changes that I won’t bore you with, just personal preferences. This pasta is really a beauty because it is great at room temperature as well as hot.

For the pesto, you will want to roast about 3 large cloves of garlic. To do so, place the unpeeled cloves on a small piece of foil, drizzle them with olive oil, fold them up in the foil packet and then put them in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. A toaster oven is perfect for this if you have one. They should feel soft to the touch. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and proceed with the recipe.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Parsley Pesto
Adapted from From the Earth to the Table
Serves 6 generously

You can make the pesto five days and roast the cauliflower one day before you finish the pasta. Slicing the cauliflower (as opposed to just breaking it into florets) give you more surface area for caramelization – a good thing.

1 medium cauliflower (2 pounds or so), sliced 1/2 thick vertically
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. tubular shaped pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
Parsley Pesto (recipe follows)
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
Thinly shaved or grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of the cauliflower lightly with olive oil, then liberally with pepper and salt. Arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet. Put in th eoven ad roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly browned and tender. Break into large irregular pieces and set aside.

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling cooking water, cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the hot pasta with the Parsley Pesto, cauliflower, olives, tomatoes, and beans, adding a bit of the reserved water if the mixture seems to dry. Top with cheese and serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made one day ahead. Allow to cool completely and then store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving or reheat until it is warm.)

Parsley Pesto
Makes a generous cup

4 cups packed fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. roasted garlic
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2 tbsp. Parmesan or Asiago cheese
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Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the parsley, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, lemon zest, and olive oil in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Category: Beans, Cookbooks, Pasta
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Making Ravioli Easier

March 8, 2009

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I have a few mental lists rattling around in my brain and I often think I need to write them down somewhere. Since most of them have to do with food, the most logical place to do so would be here. I have the Tools I Can’t Live Without list. I have the Desert Island Cookbooks list. I have the Top 10 Hated Tasks in the Kitchen list. And I also have the Things I Need to Learn How to Make or Do list.

On that last list, you would find sourdough starter, croissants, puff pastry, fondant covered cakes, homemade ice cream – but at the very top of the list, you would find homemade pasta. I know pasta isn’t hard to make (neither is ice cream for that matter), it’s just something I haven’t committed to yet. I don’t have the right equipment and I just haven’t wrapped my brain around trying it. Maybe I fear that once I try it, I will never be happy with dried again. Maybe I’m just a little lazy in the pasta department.

Before we left for Kauai, I got it in my head that I wanted to make ravioli for my clients. I love ravioli but I hate ordering them in restaurants. In my experience, you pay $18 for four two-bite pillows that inevitably contain butternut squash, ricotta and sage, and are swimming in a brown butter sauce. Yes, that kind of ravioli tasted good the first time I had them and now I am over it. So, when I found this recipe that sounded like it just might be the perfect flavor combination, I had to try it. I know that, in a pinch, you can use won ton wrappers as a stand-in for fresh pasta and so I decided to give it a whirl.

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I have to say, I was really happy with how this turned out – and believe me when I say that I am my own worst critic. I could of course tell how this dish would be transcendent with fresh pasta, but the wrappers worked really well and were an incredible time saver. They are more toothsome than pasta but so easy to work with. The filling had just the right amount of crunch, creaminess, and savory flavor and the sauce was the perfect accompaniment. I am kind of hot and cold on roasted red peppers and wasn’t sure how I would feel about a sauce that starred them. But it was subtle enough to let the flavors of the ravioli shine through, but assertive enough not to just be red sauce.

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Goat Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Adapted from The Farm to Table Cookbook
Makes approximately 24 ravioli, serving 4

For the ravioli:

You will not use all the won ton wrappers, but the leftovers can be wrapped and frozen for next time.

2 packages won ton wrappers
8 oz. fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, minced
1/2 basil leaves
1 egg, beaten

For the roasted red pepper sauce:

You can, of course, use jarred peppers here. If you are going to roast your own, do three large ones and if you have left over, just add them to your next salad. They keep well in the refrigerator for days.

2 cups roasted red peppers
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. warm water
Cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Combine the cheeses and hazelnuts in a medium mixing bowl.

3. On a cutting board, lay the basil leaves in a stack with the stem ends toward you. Roll the leaves cigar-style and thinly slice them into ribbons. Add to the cheese mixture.

4. Have the won ton wrappers, the cheese filling, the egg wash, a pastry brush, and a pastry cutter (or small sharp knife) ready in front of you. Take one wrapper at a time (be sure you have one because they stick together) and place it front of you. Spoon approximately a tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper and flatten it slightly. Brush the egg wash over all the exposed surface of the wrapper, and top with another wrapper. Push out any air bubbles.

5. Using the pastry cutter or the sharp knife cut off the edges so that you either have squares or rough circles. Be sure to not cut into the filling at all, just excess wrapper. Place ravioli on the baking sheet as you work and sprinkle lightly with flour.

6. To prepare the sauce, in a blender mix the bell peppers, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and water until smooth. Season with the cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and gently warm over medium-low heat. (The sauce can be made up to two days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Gently drop the ravioli into the water, allowing 6 ravioli per person. (You may have to cook the ravioli in batches to avoid overcrowding.) Cook until the ravioli float to the surface and the pasta is tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ravioli and divide among plates. Top with the warm sauce and serve.


Category: Pasta
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The Real Stuff

February 9, 2009


Do you know what is lurking under there? Yes, it looks like an incredibly delicious crunchy topping and yes, that is what it is. But underneath…you can just barely see it…. Mac and cheese.

This is relatively new territory for me. I have been making Annie’s mac and cheese for my kids since they started eating solid food, and of course I ate Kraft mac and cheese as a child myself. But last January I catered a party for 60 people and they wanted to do a Southern theme. Literally the first thing that popped into my head was mac and cheese even though I had never made the “real” stuff before. The client was more excited about it than any other thing I mentioned, so I got to work on what would be the best recipe.

I ended up trying debating between two Martha Stewart recipes and was totally stumped as to which one make people swoon. We had a New Year’s Day party last year and, seeing as we were expecting about 20 people, I made both and asked people to vote for their favorite. One had a crumb topping with cheddar and Gruyere cheeses, the other had scallions mixed in along with goat cheese. The former won hands down and that is the one I made for the party to rave reviews. I even made it for the party I catered this past December, so sure I was of it’s deliciousness.

So when we decided to host a little party for my baby’s second birthday, I knew what to make. It’s winter, a lot of people with healthy appetites were coming – how else to feed them? I decided to revisit Martha but to make a slightly different recipe and I think it’s the best of them all. This one adds some tomatoes to the mix and I think that little burst of acidity and freshness adds so much. Macaroni and cheese is an incredibly rich dish. People love it but it is hard to eat too much without feeling a little sick. Although this does not skimp on the richness, the tomatoes mix it up a little bit and give your mouth a break. Another thing I like about it is that the recipe incorporates fresh thyme which also adds a nice flavor dimension.

This is not a quick dish. There are several steps and a lot of stirring over a hot stove. Nothing is difficult, just time consuming. But if you have never made “real” mac and cheese, your efforts will be well rewarded. It is one of the best comfort foods around.


Gratineed Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook
Serves 6-8

For this particular recipe, Stewart recommends sharp white Cheddar cheese only. I think Gruyere adds a nice nuttiness, so I did half and half. I was feeding about 14 adults so I doubled the below recipe. If you do so, make sure you have a very large bowl to mix it all together!

7 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
1 1/4 cup homemade bread crumbs
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni or other short, tubular pasta
1 quart whole milk
5 tbsp. flour
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups grated cheese, about 1 pound (see my note above)
1 pound red and yellow tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or a 3 quart casserole dish; set aside. Melt 2 tbsp. butter and pour over the bread in a medium bowl; toss. Add 1 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 pepper; toss.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a small handful of salt. Cook the pasta until just beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes (it will not be fully cooked). Drain and rinse.

3. Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the remaining 5 tbsp. butter in a high sided skillet (or a pot) over medium until foaming. Add the flour; whisk 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk. Cook, whisking, until bubbling and thickened, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, the remaining 2 tsp. thyme, the nutmeg, and the cheese to pan; stir until the cheese is melted.

5. Stir the pasta and tomatoes into the cheese sauce. Pour into the buttered dish; sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake until bubbling and golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.


Category: Main Course, Pasta
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