Pappardelle with Rabbit, Ramps, and Spring Garlic

This was my first year making ramps, and after cooking with them and eating them in various dishes all weekend, I have no idea why I waited so long. Ramps are a member of the lily family, which also includes garlic, onions, and leeks, and they've got a bit of the sweetness of leeks mixed in with some garlic bite. Also, they're beautiful, with their big, elegant green leaves, rich purple stalk, and thin white bulbs. And more importantly, they taste like pure spring, which is quite exciting after many long, winter months of icy weather and root vegetables.

When I first got home from the farmers' market, three full bunches of ramps in hand, I stood in my kitchen, scrolling through recipes on my laptop, and wondering what I should do with my bounty. You can do a lot with them, it turns out. I made two pastas, both recipes from Martha Stewart, but I also prepared them alone, coated in good olive oil and some salt and pepper, and seared in a scalding hot pan until a few charred spots on the leaves appeared. They were delicious every which way, but I think this may be my favorite way to eat them--braised for a good long time with rabbit and wild spring garlic in wine and chicken stock, and tossed with pappardelle noodles. It may actually have been one of the best pastas I've ever made. I highly recommend trying this one out before ramps disappear from the markets--their season only lasts until June. xo

Pappardelle with Rabbit, Ramps, and Spring Garlic
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 rabbit (about 2 pounds), cut into 6 pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 ounces wild (spring) garlic (about 8), white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
6 ounces ramps (about 14), leaves and bulbs separated, bulbs halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dry Riesling
1 pound pappardelle

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge rabbit or chicken in flour mixture, coating all sides. Shake off excess.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add meat pieces. (Work in batches if necessary.) Cook until dark golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic and ramp bulbs. Cook, stirring, until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.

Return meat to pan. Add stock, wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cover. Place in oven, and cook until meat is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer meat pieces to a plate. Cut meat from bones in large chunks. Discard bones.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Place the pan with the cooked garlic and ramps and their cooking liquid over high heat, and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add meat and ramp leaves. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta, and add to meat mixture. Toss gently, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Happy spring! The weather in New York is doing a pretty good job of lifting my spirits these days--the first few weeks of being able to leave the house sans coat always feels like a blessing. Over the weekend, as I was flipping through my new copy of The Pioneer Woman's latest cookbook, I stumbled across this recipe for a pasta with tomato cream sauce. It felt just right for the day--simple, a little luxurious, and bright with the acid-laced taste of tomatoes. Beautiful.

When I was in college, I went through a serious cream sauce phase. I'm talking vodka sauce, fettucine alfredo, and the like. And lots of it. I'd order the stuff at restaurants unflinchingly, and then slurp it all up with an extra scattering of cheese on top. But as the years have gone by and my metabolism has gone down, these indulgences are fewer and farther between, which (on a positive note) just serve to make them that much more special. If you're a fan of cream sauces, which I most certainly am, this one will definitely do right by you. xo

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients: 
1/2 pound dried fettuccine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 small onion, finely diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce or marinara sauce 
Salt And Pepper, to taste 
Dash of sugar 
1/2 cup heavy cream 
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste 
Fresh basil, chopped 

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute or so, until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Chicken Spaghetti

I have been on the biggest comfort food kick lately. Maybe it's the winter winding down and the nagging awareness that I only have a few more weeks of icy cold weather in which to enjoy things like mushroom lasagna, veal stew, big pots of kale soup, and this--my latest favorite discovery--chicken spaghetti. Chicken spaghetti is simple country food at it's finest--rib-sticking, a little lowbrow, a lot delicious. And it's mercifully easy. It's even got a shortcut in it in the form of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup. Yep, you read that right. I dumped not one, but TWO, cans of the stuff right in there and mixed it all in with the rest of the fine ingredients. And you know what? It was good. Really good.

Along with the cream of mushroom soup, this casserole's got a ton going on--perfectly cooked spaghetti, onions, bell peppers, a freshly cooked chicken shredded into tender little bits, a shake of cayenne pepper for some heat, and a layer of creamy, melted cheese easing into every single bite. This is the kind of casserole that will easily infiltrate a rotation of weeknight family dinners. It's the kind of meal that your kids or husband or boyfriend or girlfriend or whomever may happen to be in your life will ask for time and time again. It's the kind of thing that harkens back to your homemade childhood meals, when times were simpler and kinder. It's comfort food, through and through. No wonder I love it. xo

Chicken Spaghetti
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, by Ree Drummond 
Ingredients:
1 whole organic 3 - 4 lb chicken
1 lb spaghetti
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 4-ounce jar pimientos, drained and diced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used good old Lawry's)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the chicken in a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the water and set aside on a plate to cool. You can take a knife and cut into the chicken--that will release some steam and let it cool faster.

Remove 2 cups of broth from the pot and set aside. Bring the remaining broth back to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook for 1 minute LESS than the recommended cooking time on the box. It should be a little underdone. You'll be putting the pasta in the oven for a good run and you don't want to end up with mushy spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti, discarding the cooking liquid. Place the spaghetti in a large bowl.

With your fingers, remove the bones from the chicken and shred the meat into bite-size chunks and add to bowl. Add to the bowl the cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups of cheese, the onion, green pepper, pimientos, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and reserved broth. Stir well to combine, then taste to check the seasonings.

Pour the mixture into a large baking pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic Chips

With all the madness surrounding the holiday season, I've barely had time to cook, much less blog. Apologies for the extended absence--now that I've gotten most of my holiday shopping done, the planning of my company holiday party out of the way (it was a raging success, according to my morning-after hangover), and nothing more than a few straggler dinners to attend to in the coming weeks, I can finally sit down to breathe again. And I found time to hit the kitchen. Hopefully this gem of a recipe makes it up to you. The feta and the olives makes this pasta feel downright Mediterranean, and the gently sauteed Swiss chard adds a hit of healthfulness that we all need around these times of overindulgence. xo


Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic Chips
Adapted from Gourmet magazine, November 2008
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds green Swiss chard, stems and center ribs finely chopped and leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/2 cup water
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, cut into slivers
6 ounces feta, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)

Directions:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Cook onion in oil remaining in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir chard stems into onion mixture with water and 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and cook, covered, until stems and leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water and drain spaghetti.

Toss spaghetti with chard, olives, and 1/2 cup cooking water, adding more cooking water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with feta and garlic chips.

Fettucine with Sausage and Kale

When faced with a menu filled with delicious pasta options, I'll almost always go for the simplest options. I love spaghetti coated with nothing but cheese, pepper, and butter. I prescribe to the belief that there's almost nothing better than a perfect tomato sauce. And I love that classic Italian dish that involves some sort of al dente pasta mixed with a hearty combination of savory sausage and bitter green broccoli rabe. It's a true "bloke's" meal (at least, according to Jamie Oliver), and being the voracious eater that I am, I end up having it more often than I probably should.

When I tried to make it for my boyfriend and I one Sunday night, however, I found that the bitterness of the broccoli rabe overtook the flavor of the dish, and distracted from the delicious heat of the Eataly-made spicy sausage. The fact that the pasta was perfectly cooked with just the tiniest hint of bite left in the center, was also tragically overshadowed. (I happen to have a sixth sense for the exact second a batch of pasta should be dumped out quickly and dramatically into the waiting colander.) The recipe I used came from Cook's Illustrated, which usually doles out flawless recipes, which the writer has tested upwards of 60 times. And yet....overly bitter broccoli rabe. Thoroughly discouraged, I decided I would take a break from attempting to make that particular pasta dish and come back to it a few months later, perhaps when another recipe popped out at me and inspired me enough to weigh out another bunch of broccoli rabe.

Sometimes, though, fate intervenes in the form of another dark, leafy green that I had somehow forgotten all about. Kale, in all it's very slightly bitter glory is just as healthy and makes for a decidedly more mellow taste, allowing the fettucine and the sausage to really shine through. Perfect solution, at least until I can figure out how to tame my broccoli rabe into submission. xo

Fettucine with Sausage and Kale
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings discarded and sausage crumbled (you can use turkey sausage here if you prefer)
1/2 lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 lb dried egg fettuccine
2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus additional for serving

Directions:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook sausage, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove kale with a large sieve and drain. Return cooking water in pot to a boil, then cook pasta in boiling water, uncovered, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. 

While pasta cooks, add kale to sausage in skillet and sauté, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water to skillet, tossing until combined. Stir in cheese and thin with additional cooking water if desired. 

Serve immediately, with additional cheese on the side.

Pasta with Cauliflower

When you're in the mood for pasta (which happens daily for me), but don't want anything that's going to weigh you down and make you feel (for lack of a better word) fat, this penne with cauliflower is an excellent, healthy option. The original recipe is an old one of Marcella Hazan's that was tweaked by Mark Bittman of the New York Times, and then tweaked again by moi. Of course, my tweak was to add about 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese in at the end to give the whole thing a little bump of flavor. I realize that move may negate the pure healthfulness of the dish but I just couldn't resist. Feel free to be a stronger person than I and leave it out. It's delicious either way. xo

Pasta with Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, about 1 pound
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound penne, fusilli or other cut pasta
1 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim the cauliflower, and divide it into florets. Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water, and boil the cauliflower in it until it is tender but not mushy. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove the cauliflower and set it aside. When it is cool enough to handle, chop it roughly into small pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet over medium-low heat, saute garlic in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden. Start cooking pasta in same pot and same water as was used for the cauliflower.

When the garlic is ready, add the cauliflower to skillet, and turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally. When pasta is just about done — it should be two or three minutes short of the way you like it — drain it, reserving about a cup of cooking liquid.

Add pasta to skillet containing the cauliflower, and toss with a large spoon until they are well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with just enough pasta water to keep the mixture moist but not soupy. Toss in the Parmesan cheese and mix well. When the mixture is hot and the pasta is tender and nicely glazed, mix in the bread crumbs.

Naked Tomato Sauce

Looking for the perfect tomato sauce recipe is like the quest for the Holy Grail. It takes time, extraordinary effort, lots of missteps, and in the end, you're not even totally sure it really exists. Well, that's what the search has been like for me, at least. There are lots of great basic recipes out there. Marcella Hazan's (deservedly) famous Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, Gwyneth Paltrow's simple tomato sauce that she always makes and keeps in her freezer, Mario Batali's basic tomato sauce, the list goes on. And although I've made many of these renditions, I've yet to find one that truly spoke to me--spoke to me and said "I am perfect. Your search can come to an end." And then, this beauty of a recipe waltzed into my life.

Having been sick this week, all I wanted was simple, homey food that I could make in a pinch, so I opted for the easy homemade chicken soup from Wednesday's post and this Naked Tomato Sauce I stumbled upon over on Smitten Kitchen. It's based on a recipe from Scarpetta, an excellent Italian restaurant in Chelsea, here in NYC. Although the restaurant's menu is filled with delicious dishes like braised short ribs over farro and duck and foie gras ravioli (must try that immediately), the most famed item on it is the spaghetti with tomato and basil. In fact, the web is filled with people trying to imitate the recipe, and apparently they've come pretty close (a how-to video with the chef at Scarpetta, Scott Conant, from the Serious Eats team helped). The secret ingredient? Butter. A tablespoon (or more!) of it added in at the very end. No wonder it's the best tomato sauce I've ever had. So good, in fact, that I honestly probably won't try another recipe again. Seriously. Make this for dinner tonight. xo


Naked Tomato Sauce
From SmittenKitchen.com
Ingredients:
3 pounds plum tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Small handful basil leaves, most left whole, a few slivered for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces (3/4 pound) dried spaghetti
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or maybe two if nobody is looking

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, then either rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath. Peeling the tomatoes should now be a cinch. Discard the skins. Keep the pot full of hot water — you can use it to cook your spaghetti in a bit.

Cut each of your tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with your fingertips into a small strainer set over a bowl. Ditch the seeds, reserve the juices.

Add tomatoes and salt to a large saucepan (you’ll be adding the pasta to this later, so err on the big side) and turn the heat to medium-high. There are several ways to break the tomatoes down (with your hands, chopping, with a fork) but I loved Conant’s suggestion of a potato masher, as it gives you the maximum control over how chunky, smooth you want your sauce.

Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn your heat down to medium-low and gently simmer your tomatoes for 35 to 45 minutes, mashing them more if needed. If they begin to look a little dry, add your strained and reserved tomato juices.

While the tomato sauce cooks, combine garlic, a few whole basil leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat them slowly, over the lowest heat so that they take a long time to come to a simmer. Once it does, immediately remove it from the heat and strain the oil into a small dish. You’ll need it shortly.

When the tomato sauce has been simmering for about 25 minutes, bring your tomato-blanching pot of water back to a boil with a healthy helping of salt. Once boiling rapidly, cook your spaghetti until it is al dente, i.e. it could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve a half-cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

Once your sauce is cooked to the consistency you like, stir in the reserved olive oil and adjust seasonings to taste. Add drained spaghetti and half the reserved pasta water to the simmering tomato sauce and cook them together for another minute or two. Add remaining pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir in the butter, if using, and serve immediately with slivered basil for garnish. We found that sauce this good, this simple and rich, needs no grated cheese.

Bavette Cacio e Pepe

When it comes to pasta (one of my favorite things in the world), it is oftentimes best to buy the absolute best pasta you can get your hands on, and then let it's wonderful qualities shine through, as opposed to smothering it in a heavy, complicated sauce. That is exactly what this bavette does. The long, thin noodles are simply coated in two different types of cheeses, good butter, freshly cracked pepper, and a fantastic olive oil. It's creamy and peppery and earthy all at the same time. It's a beautiful dish.

If you're in New York and happen to find yourself strolling through SoHo hungry, make it a point to seek out Lupa, a Roman trattoria owned by Mario Batali, and the inspiration behind this recipe. They have a bavette on their menu that is pretty much my idea of perfection. Complete with a glass of your favorite wine, and life just doesn't get much better than that. The below recipe serves two. xo

Bavette Cacio e Pepe
From Cooking for Mr. Latte, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
Sea salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 pound DeCecco linguini
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon very coarse, freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle in enough sea salt so that it tastes seasoned. Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. When the water boils, add the linguini and cook it for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Near the end of cooking, scoop out about 1/2 cup of cooking water and reserve.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Drop in the butter, oil and 1/2 tablespoon pepper and stir with tongs or a large fork, lifting and folding the pasta together. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the pot and place it over medium-high heat. Cook for a minute, stirring to emulsify the sauce. Test a noodle to see if it's done. It should still be a bit firm in the center, though not as stiff as licorice.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle half the cheese over the pasta. Blend once more, then divide the pasta among four warm bowls. Pass the rest of the cheese and pepper at the table.