Thursday, April 07, 2005
Pasta with walnuts, raisins, pinenuts and sundried tomatoes
Isabella was in a rush last evening and had to come up with a heavenly dish for a very special guest. She had to use ingredients that were in her cupboard, and here is what she made: (Like my friend Schmootzie, Isabella detests writing about herself in the third person.)
Capellini con nocci, uve secche, e pomodori secchi
(Angel Hair pasta with nuts, raisins, and sundried tomatoes)
Serves 2
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
3 tablespoons salt free butter
2 oz. pancetta (optional)
1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/2 cup toasted pinenuts
1/2 cup dark or white raisins
dash of cinnamon
3 green scallions, finely chopped
dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
good quality aged balsamic vinegar
parmesean cheese
If using pancetta (Italian bacon) saute it and the sliced garlic in the olive oil until just tender. Add the sundried tomatoes and cook for about a minute, add the toasted nuts and raisins and saute for another minute. Add the vegetable or chicken broth, but go easy, this dish should be somewhat dry. Season to taste. Meanwhile cook the angel hair to al dente and drain.
Place a mound of the angel hair in heated pasta bowls and scoop a generous portion of the raisin/nut mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle a dash of your best balsamic vinegar over the mixture, sprinkle chopped scallions over this and serve immediately. Pass the parmesean cheese.
NOTE: I like this dish a little on the dry side, if you prefer a soupier consistency, save a bit of the pasta water and put some in the bottom of the pasta bowls or add more broth in the cooking before you serve up the angel hair. Or you may add a bit more olive oil and butter.)
I served this with a bottle of Australian shiraz "McGuigan, The Black Label," and the wine beautifully complemented the flavors of this dish.
For dessert, slices of melon with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Serve this to someone special. Believe me, they will worship you for eternity.
Ciao, carissimi.
Capellini con nocci, uve secche, e pomodori secchi
(Angel Hair pasta with nuts, raisins, and sundried tomatoes)
Serves 2
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
3 tablespoons salt free butter
2 oz. pancetta (optional)
1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/2 cup toasted pinenuts
1/2 cup dark or white raisins
dash of cinnamon
3 green scallions, finely chopped
dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
good quality aged balsamic vinegar
parmesean cheese
If using pancetta (Italian bacon) saute it and the sliced garlic in the olive oil until just tender. Add the sundried tomatoes and cook for about a minute, add the toasted nuts and raisins and saute for another minute. Add the vegetable or chicken broth, but go easy, this dish should be somewhat dry. Season to taste. Meanwhile cook the angel hair to al dente and drain.
Place a mound of the angel hair in heated pasta bowls and scoop a generous portion of the raisin/nut mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle a dash of your best balsamic vinegar over the mixture, sprinkle chopped scallions over this and serve immediately. Pass the parmesean cheese.
NOTE: I like this dish a little on the dry side, if you prefer a soupier consistency, save a bit of the pasta water and put some in the bottom of the pasta bowls or add more broth in the cooking before you serve up the angel hair. Or you may add a bit more olive oil and butter.)
I served this with a bottle of Australian shiraz "McGuigan, The Black Label," and the wine beautifully complemented the flavors of this dish.
For dessert, slices of melon with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Serve this to someone special. Believe me, they will worship you for eternity.
Ciao, carissimi.
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This sounds like a much better dinner then the Greatwhitebear had at Applebee's last night. The greatwhitebear (who, incidently, also hates to refer to himself in the third person), needs to find someone to cook wonderful Italian dishes for him. Oh, wait, he does....only it costs him $20 to eat at Rocco's.
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