Pasta - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday (because not everyone loves tacos). Today's double post deals with pasta, and includes Spinach, Peppers, and Cherry Tomatoes with Penne Rigate and Angel Hair Pasta. Enjoy!

PASTA WITH CORN, MINT AND RED ONIONS

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "Practically a no-cook recipe, this celebration of corn, tomatoes and plenty of herbs is about as easy as summer pasta gets. A dollop or two of ricotta adds milky softness, enriching the tangy, garlicky tomatoes and plump kernels of corn, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Although this dish is best with seasonal tomatoes and freshly shucked corn, it’s also excellent made with frozen corn and year-round grape tomatoes, cut into cubes. You can serve this versatile salad warm, at room temperature or even cold as a pasta salad. And leftovers make a terrific lunch the next day."

Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This was featured in "This Easy Vegetarian Pasta Is Full of Brilliant Hacks", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024609-pasta-with-corn-mint-and-red-onions.

Ingredients

Fine sea or table salt

1 pound cavatelli (or use another small pasta shape, such as orecchiette or shells)

5 ears corn, shucked, kernels removed (about 4 cups)

2 cups diced ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste

1/2 cup olive oil, more for serving

3 small or 2 large garlic cloves, grated

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, more for serving

1/2 cup chopped soft herbs, such as mint, basil or cilantro, or a combination, more for serving

Fresh ricotta, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Add the corn kernels to the pasta about 2 to 4 minutes before the pasta is cooked. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt, and set aside to marinate while the pasta cooks.

Add the oil, garlic and red-pepper flakes to a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Let oil heat until the garlic is fragrant but not at all brown, about 1 minute. Pour into the tomato mixture.

Add drained pasta and corn to the tomato mixture. Stir well to coat the pasta. Mix in herbs. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt, if needed. Serve warm or room temperature drizzled with more olive oil, herbs, red-pepper flakes and dollops of ricotta, if you like.

BAKED ZITI

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Alison wrote, "This baked ziti is layered almost like a lasagna to ensure every bite has enough creamy ricotta, stringy mozzarella and tangy tomato sauce. But the key to its success comes from undercooking the pasta during the initial boil so it stays perfectly al dente, even after a trip to the oven. Heavy cream is added to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy or dry during baking, letting it be its most luscious self. While this baked ziti is meatless (there’s plenty of richness from the cheese — three types, to be exact), you could always incorporate a bit of sausage, ground meat or pancetta, if you like. Simply add 1/2 pound to the onions while sautéeing and proceed with the recipe."

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018954-baked-ziti.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in juice

1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée or sauce

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

16 ounces/1 pound ricotta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino, plus more for grating on top

1 pound ziti, rigatoni, penne, manicotti or other short, tubelike pasta

1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Preparation

Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the tomato purée to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Prepare the pasta: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove.

Cook pasta until it’s nearly al dente. (You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.

Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.

Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside each tube.

Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.

Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy salad.

Tip

Baked ziti can be assembled 2 hours before baking. It can be baked 1 day ahead and rewarmed before serving.

VEGAN LEMON AND ASPARAGUS PASTA

This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "This asparagus pasta recipe serves up spring asparagus two ways: blended into a smooth sauce that’s tossed with fettuccine, and sautéed in bite-size pieces that get stirred into the dish just before serving. It’s an easy and crowd-pleasing way to bring the brightness of lemon and fresh, green asparagus to your table." Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/vegan-asparagus-pasta-with-lemon/.

Ingredients

5 Tbs. olive oil, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)

2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1-inch lengths

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

8 oz. fettuccine

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

Preparation

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and sauté 2 minutes, or until golden. Stir in asparagus, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 2 minutes, then cover skillet, and cook 5 minutes, or until asparagus is bright green and just tender. Transfer half of asparagus to plate, and set aside.

Cook remaining asparagus 1 minute more, then transfer to bowl of food processor. Add lemon juice, pepper, and remaining 3 Tbs. oil, and blend until sauce is smooth.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot, and toss with asparagus sauce, reserved cooking water, and lemon zest. Stir in reserved asparagus, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA

I had something similar to this at a local Italian restaurant several times, and decided to try making it. A hint for making this: wait until all the veggies have been cut up, then start the water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The veggies should be cooked for 2-4 minutes, and the pasta cooked for 2 minutes before the pasta is drained and then allowed to finish cooking for another 2 minutes with the veggies. Timing is important - unless you like disgustingly soggy pasta.

Note: This recipe is from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

Ingredients

1/2 C water

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2green pepper, diced

1 T oregano

1 lb. angel hair pasta

Directions

Cut up veggies while heating the pasta water. DO NOT PUT PASTA INTO WATER UNTIL THE VEGGIES BEGIN COOKING. (There. I said it.) In veggie pot, heat 1/2 C water & balsamic vinegar until it begins to bubble; add onion, garlic, pepper & oregano and stir once or twice. NOW ADD PASTA TO POT OF BOILING PASTA WATER. (Boy, what a bossy broad.) Simmer veggies on low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes, covered. Cook pasta for only 2 minutes, then drain in colander. As soon as pasta is drained, remove cover from veggies, dump pasta into veggie pot, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring several times. Remove from heat. DIG IN!!! (Now, isn’t that good?)

SPINACH, PEPPERS, AND CHERRY TOMATOES WITH PENNE RIGATE

This was in the November 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 28). It begins, "Fresh cherry tomatoes and spinach add bright color, flavor, and body to this Mediterranean-style dish." Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/spinach-peppers-and-cherry-tomatoes-with-penne-rigate/.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups penne rigate pasta (6 oz.)

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, patted dry, and sliced

10 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)

4 cups packed baby spinach leaves (8 oz.)

1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh oregano

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently, or until lightly browned.

Increase heat to high. Add roasted peppers, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, spinach, olives, oregano, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tomatoes soften and spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Add pasta and reserved pasta-cooking water; cover, and cook 3 minutes more, or until heated through.

BROCCOLI PASTA

This is from the Food Network, and begins, "Believe it or not, the star behind this 5-ingredient supper is overcooked broccoli! We over-steam it here to give the broccoli a delicate and creamy texture, making it perfect for mashing, mixing with pasta water and tossing with pasta."

Active Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/broccoli-pasta-12375930.

Ingredients

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into large florets

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

12 ounces spaghetti

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Set up a steamer basket in a 3-quart saucepan. Add enough water to come up to the bottom of the basket. Bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets to the basket, cover and cook until the broccoli is soft and nearly falling apart but still holds its shape, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons butter and gently toss; season with salt and pepper, then mash.

Cook the spaghetti according to label directions, then reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain.

In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil for 30 seconds. Add the mashed broccoli, the Parmesan and half of the reserved cooking water. Cook, stirring, until saucy. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the spaghetti, adding more cooking water as needed.