Brown Butter Bucatini with Charred Cabbage

Brown Butter Bucatini with Charred Cabbage is an unusual vegetarian pasta. The Pecans to me are a great idea. I can't remember before ever having Pecans in a Pasta. When cooked they had a chewy texture. The pasta was great. We decided to serve sautéed Japanese Dry Scallops with it. A great hearing. This was a real un-expected delight.
New York Times
 
Charred cabbage brings a complex combination of flavors, from savory to bitter to sweet, to this simple but satisfying weeknight pasta. As it cooks, the cabbage also turns silky, clinging to the bucatini like the most delicious of frills. The pecans play off the natural nutty notes of the charred cabbage and brown butter. Like cacio e pepe or other pastas that fuse melted cheese with pasta water, this dish tightens up quickly, so make sure to have plenty of pasta water on hand to loosen it as needed. 

Brown Butter Bucatini with Charred Cabbage

Yield:4 servings 

INGREDIENTS

 
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2       tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral-flavored oil
1       small green cabbage (about 1 ½ pounds), halved, cored and thinly sliced
12     ounces bucatini
8       tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
½      cup roughly chopped raw pecans
2       cups/6 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan
⅓      cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
 
PREPARATION
 
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with enough salt that it tastes like a slightly salty soup.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the cabbage and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage softens, shrinks and becomes deeply charred in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Season aggressively with pepper, taste for salt and season accordingly, and transfer the cabbage to a plate. Wipe out the skillet.

3. Add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructs. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.

4. To the large skillet, add the butter, pecans and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of pasta water, the cabbage and the cooked pasta and stir to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add half of the cheese and all the parsley and stir vigorously until the sauce coats the pasta and the cheese melts. If the pasta seems too dry, add a splash of pasta water.

5. Divide among bowls and top with the remaining cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Risotto con Luganegh (Risotto with Pork Sausage)

 

We love Risotto and we make this recipe quite often. It is a great recipe for: Risotto con Luganegh (Risotto with Pork Sausage). The recipe can be found on our blog of: April 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with a Caesar Salad. What a perfect meal!

Creamy Butternut Squash and Coconut Noodle Soup

Ok, everyone, listen up! Creamy Butternut Squash and Coconut Noodle Soup is a MUST MAKE Soup. It is beyond delicious. I loved it and can't wait till we make it again. We enhanced the soup in two ways. We used Delicata Squash instead of the called for Butternut Squash. The reason we did this is that the Delicata Squash does not need to be peeled. Life is easier! The second thing we did was to add cleaned, shelled Deveined Shrimp to the hot soup at the end for about 5 minutes to cook them. They were a great addition. This is just such a wonderful soup. I really hope you make it!

Creamy Butternut Squash and Coconut Noodle Soup

New York Times
 
Sweet, savory, and full of flavor, this easy weeknight noodle soup takes a cue from the warmly comforting northern Thai dish khao soi, with a curry-spiced coconut broth and toppings that offer crunch and contrast. First, the butternut squash is simmered in the fragrant broth until very tender. Then the squash is mashed, becoming one with the coconut milk before stock and sweet and savory seasonings are added (to keep the soup vegetarian, use soy sauce instead of fish sauce). You can use any type of egg noodles here, from wide dried egg noodles to flat fresh egg noodles (sometimes labeled as wonton noodles). Ladle the flavorful squash broth over the noodles and garnish with as much garnish as your heart and stomach desires. Those toppings can be — but are not limited to — a lot of lime juice to cut the richness, cilantro, sliced fresh shallots, crispy shallots, fried noodles, chile oil or pickled mustard greens.
 
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings
 
3               tablespoons vegetable oil
1to 1¼      pounds peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt 
2                tablespoons red or yellow curry paste
1                (3-inch)     piece ginger, grated (about 3 tablespoons)
1                teaspoon ground turmeric
2                (13-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
2 to 3         cups vegetable or chicken stock
2                teaspoons fish sauce or 1 tablespoon soy sauce
2                tablespoons brown sugar
8                ounces fresh or dried egg noodles (wide or thin)
Lime wedges, cilantro, thinly sliced shallots and chile oil, for serving

PREPARATION
 
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high. Add the squash, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened and lightly golden in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, ginger and turmeric. Cook, stirring often, until very fragrant, about 1 minute, lowering the heat if necessary to keep from scorching.

2. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender enough to mash, 10 to 12 minutes. Uncover and use a wooden spoon or potato masher to crush the squash into small pieces. Add 2 cups of the stock, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat off. Add more stock for a brothier soup. Season with salt and adjust other seasonings to taste.

3. While the squash simmers, cook the noodles per the package directions.

4. To serve, divide the noodles into bowls, ladle the soup over, very generously squeeze lime over, and top with cilantro, shallots and chile oil.
 
Note: we substituted Delicata Squash (you don’t have to peel it!) and added Shrimp to the soup at the end.

One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù

Pork and Pasta, how wonderful a combination. We love Pasta and this recipe for One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù was a great one! I love the idea of chunky meat sauces. This was a good and easy dinner. Try it! This is a delicious Pasta! You can get the recipe on our blog of: Feb 26, 2024. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Pear Salad with Walnuts (from our 50 pound bag!) and Blue Cheese. Delicious Fall Salad.

Braised Chicken Legs With Wild Mushrooms

Braised Chicken Legs with Wild Mushrooms is an excellent one-dish wintery dinner. Somehow when you have a rich dark sauce (especially with lots of Mushrooms) it adds an earthy heartiness to any dish. We liked this recipe. We served it with Potatoes.

Braised Chicken Legs With Wild Mushrooms
New York Times
 
A good roasted chicken is a simple pleasure, but a braised chicken dish is always more interesting. Here, dried wild mushrooms, smoked bacon and red wine perfume the sauce to give these chicken legs depth and character, with a flavor nearly similar to a game bird. Using turkey broth makes this braise even more heady. For a quick, concentrated broth, simmer 2 pounds of meaty turkey wings with 6 cups water for about an hour. Finding a dried wild mushroom is not like hunting for its fresh counterpart in the forest. Most Italian delis and nearly all supermarkets sell little packets of dried wild mushrooms.
 
INGREDIENTS
Yield:6 servings
 
1       ounce dried porcini
1       ounce dried morels
6       large chicken legs (about 4 pounds)
Salt and pepper
4       tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
2       cups finely diced onion
3       ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise ¼-inch wide
1       tablespoon tomato paste
2       garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of cayenne
2       tablespoons all-purpose flour
1       cup red wine
4       cups turkey or chicken broth
1       bay leaf
1       large thyme sprig
1½    pounds small yellow-fleshed potatoes
3       tablespoons chopped parsley
 
PREPARATION
 
1. Rinse porcini with warm water (they are often sandy), then place in a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, soak the morels in hot water.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken legs on a baking sheet in one layer. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove and set aside. Turn oven to 350 degrees

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color.

4. Add bacon and tomato paste, stir to incorporate with onions, and cook for about 1 minute, then stir in garlic and cayenne. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add wine and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in turkey broth and bring to a simmer. The sauce will thicken slightly. Add bay leaf and thyme sprig. Drain porcini and morels and add to sauce.

5. Submerge browned chicken legs in sauce and bring to a brisk simmer. Cover and transfer pot to oven. Bake for about 1 hour, until chicken is tender. Remove from oven and keep covered.

6. While chicken bakes, make the potatoes: Put potatoes in a saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

7. Drain potatoes and let cool. Peel potatoes with a paring knife and return to saucepan. (Alternatively, potatoes may be peeled before cooking, or you may opt to leave skins on.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high heat to warm potatoes through, then set aside, covered.

8. To serve, divide legs among 6 warm plates. Spoon sauce and mushrooms over each serving. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and place a few potatoes on each plate. Transfer remaining potatoes and buttery juices to a serving dish. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat if desired.
 

Lobster Risotto

We love Lobster Risotto! It is rich and decadent. I am always tasked with getting the Lobster Tail out of the shell in one piece. The trick is to use a kitchen shears to cut the shell on the full length from on both the top and the bottom. You can then basically peal the the shell off. You can find the recipe for this fantastic Risotto on our blog of May 2, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Pear Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese.
 

Dinner and a Fire

Skillet-Braised Chicken with Greens and Olives is an exceptional dish. It really appeals to me. I love the crispy Skin and it is the 2nd best use of Olives (the first, of course being in Martinis). I highly suggest you make this great recipe. You can find the recipe for Skillet-Braised Chicken with Greens and Olives on our blog of September 30, 2024. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Persimmon Salad.

It was a freaky night as we looked out our window and could observe the Los Angeles Fires. We were worried enough to actually bring up a suitcase and pack it with our prescriptions in case we had to flee. Luckily for us the fires never approached our house, too many others weren't as lucky.

Persimmon Salad

Every year in the late fall I buy a 50 pound bag of Walnuts. I then distribute them to friends and use in salads. A Persimmon Salad is always enhanced with freshly cracked freshly cracked Walnuts!