Orzo with Lemon and Parsley

Since moving to Florida, Peggy has been kayaking, attending yoga classes, doing power walks in the morning and, of course, making new friends. She enjoys inviting people over for dinner and entertaining in that casual Florida way. On a recent visit to New York we talked recipes. This one sounded especially appealing and easy. The flavors are classic, the combination slightly unexpected. The orzo would go particularly well with simply broiled fish or chicken.

2 lemons

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 box orzo

1 tbl. olive oil

3 tbl. parsley, minced

Zest the lemons and set the zest aside. Cut the rind off the lemons and discard. Remove pits and chop the lemons into small pieces. Sprinkle sugar over lemon pieces and set lemons aside.

Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and toss with olive oil. Add lemon zest and parsley. Stir in lemon pieces and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Note: Chopped dill would taste wonderful in this dish. Either replace the parsley with dill or use both.

Ravioli with veggies

I have been making a version of ravioli with veggies for years. It is flexible, easy and enjoyed by everyone. Instead of tossing pre-made ravioli into tomato sauce, I use veggies sauteed in olive oil as the sauce. The sauteed veggies do not overpower the ravioli filling as tomato sauce sometimes does. When Irene (of Irene's Brisket-posted 4/6/09) heard about my technique, she decided it would work well with that package of lobster ravioli she had in her freezer. Here is a basic version. There is plenty of room for variations but please use good quality ravioli.

3 tbl. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 zucchini, diced

2 red or yellow peppers, diced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 packages refrigerated ravioli (24 ravioli per package)- cheese, cheese and spinach, mushroom, butternut squash, lobster, are all good choices. Separate all the ravioli squares.

handful of basil leaves, torn

freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic over medium heat for 1 minute. Add zucchini and peppers and, stirring frequently, continue to saute for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a spaghetti pot, heat water to boiling. When water is vigorously boiling, add the ravioli. When water returns to a boil, lower heat and cook until ravioli floats to the top of the water. Remove 1 ravioli, cut in half to make sure that it is heated through. When done, drain ravioli into colander.

Return drained ravioli to spaghetti pot. Add veggies and oil, tossing gently. Add basil leaves, tossing again.

Serve ravioli and pass parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Notes: Select any kind of ravioli that appeals to you. Use two different kinds if you wish. The vegetables can also change depending on what's on hand or in season. A few days ago I used carrots, cut into small dice, along with peppers. Cherry tomatoes, yellow summer squash and sliced mushrooms would also be good choices.

The veggies can be made an hour in advance and left in the skillet.

Spaghettini alla Rustica

This dish is simplicity itself. It can be made in minutes and must be served as soon as it is ready. The recipe is from The Peasant Kitchen by Perla Meyers. I reduced the amount of oil and increased the number of shrimp to suit my taste. Ms. Meyers advises to use just one chili pepper the first time you make the spaghettini. Increase the heat, if you wish, the second time around. Of course, crusty bread and a green salad are great accompaniments.

Salt

1 pound thin spaghetti

1/3 cup fruity olive oil

4 cloves garlic, cut in half

1 to 2 dried chili pepper, cut in half

2 tbl. minced fresh parsley

20 shrimp, peeled and cubed

freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

2 tbl. minced fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghettini and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until barely tender.

While the spaghetti is cooking, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil, together with 2 cloves of the garlic, peeled but left whole, and the chili pepper. As soon as the garlic is browned, remove and discard. Add 2 tbl. of the parsley and the shrimp and cook 1 or 2 minutes, or until the shrimp turn bright pink. Season with salt and pepper, then remove the pan from the heat, discard the chili pepper, and set aside.

Drain the spaghetti, add it to the skillet, and toss lightly in the oil and shrimp mixture. Add a heavy grinding of black pepper and garnish with garlic and parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Note: Ms. Meyers used 3/4 cup of olive oil and 15 shrimp in her recipe. Adjust these amounts as you wish.

Spaghetti with Asparagus

Spring is here and fresh asparagus is showing up at farmer's markets. Grab them while you can, along with some chives, and make this delectable pasta dish which sings of springtime in every bite.  This dish is based on Deborah Madison's recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, one of my favorite cookbooks.  

4 tbl. olive oil

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tbl. finely chopped thyme

salt and pepper

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut at an angle into 3 inch slices 

1 pound spaghetti

4 tbl. pine nuts, toasted

3 tbl. chopped parsely

2 tbl. snipped chives

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

While water is heating for the spaghetti, heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat.  Add the sweet onion, lemon zest, thyme, and salt to taste and cook slowly, stirring occasionally.

When the pasta water boils, salt it and add the asparagus and cook until crisp tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon, add it to the onion mixture and continue cooking.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente, drain it but leave some of the water clinging to the strands.  Return the spaghetti to the pasta pot and add the cooked vegetables to the pot.  Raise the heat and stir in the remaining oil, the pine nuts, parsley, chives, salt and pepper to taste and a few tbl. cheese.  

Serve with remaining grated cheese. 

Serves 4 to 6

Pasta and Chickpeas

I love this combination of flavors-pasta, chickpeas, parsley, garlic, all heated up with some red pepper flakes. Wow! And the dish is so easy to make.  This recipe comes from Deborah Madison's cookbook Vegetarian Suppers. Ms. Madison is the queen of vegetarian cooking. 

1 tbl. olive oil, plus extra to finish

1/2 large onion, diced

a few pinches hot red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15 ounce can, preferably organic, liquid reserved

1 big bunch of flat-leaf parsley, the leaves stripped from the stems

3 plump garlic cloves

small handful of sage leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 pound whole wheat pasta shells

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Heat the oil in a wide skillet and add the onion and pepper flakes.  Cook for a few minutes, then add the chickpeas.  While they're warming, chop the parsley, garlic and sage together, then toss a third of it into the pan.  Season well with salt and pepper, add a little water or chickpea broth to the pan, and cook slowly, adding more liquid as it cooks away.

Salt the pasta water and cook the pasta.  When done, drain and toss it with the chickpeas, the rest of the parsley mixture, and extra olive oil to taste.  Taste for salt and season with freshly ground pepper.  Grate some cheese over the top and serve. 

Serves 4

Notes: Ms. Madison suggests adding additional red pepper flakes at serving time but I think it is hot enough with this.  She also offers some additions-a few cut up garden tomatoes added at the very end or some grated lemon zest or mild ricotta or slivers of ricotta salata.   

Penne Pasta with Tomatoes, Olives and Feta

Peggy responded to my plea for easy and tasty recipes for Penny with a pasta dish that Deb passed on to her. I must apologize for not including a pasta recipe until now since it is a mainstay in most homes.  This one is bold. The olives and feta cheese wake up your taste buds.  If these ingredients appeal to you ( I love them) then definitely give this dish a try.  It doesn't get any easier than this. 

It is wonderful to see how recipes get passed on from person to person.  I don't know if 

Deb just threw this together one day or got the recipe from someone else. She is a very experimental and brave cook. Peggy tasted it, loved it and now makes it in her home.  Since Peggy is now in Florida, it's probably making the rounds down there. Who knows, maybe Ariella will pass it on to her family in Israel. 

I will be leaving for Berlin for one week so there will not be any postings for a while unless I can figure out how to do that from across the Atlantic.  I must admit that I am not looking forward to German cuisine. The most famous dish in Berlin is curried sausages, which does not appeal to me. Well, I heard that the Turkish food there is delish.

1 lb. penne pasta

2 cups diced tomatoes ( or 14 ounces diced tomatoes)

2/3 cup chopped scallions (use some greens)- 2 bunches

1 small package feta cheese

1 cup Kalamata olives

1/4 cup olive oil (or more)

pepper

Chop tomatoes, scallions, feta and olives.. Mix all in a large bowl.  Pour hot pasta over vegetables and cheese.  Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil, or more if you wish, and season to taste with pepper.

The leftovers taste great  the next day at room temperature.

Konnten sie bitte langsamer sprechen.