"Creamed" Spinach Pasta - Spaghettini with Mascarpone and Spinach

This is one of those recipes that created itself when I was emptying out the refrigerator.  LOL

It's a quick and simple way to use a whole lotta fresh spinach. In my case, it's before it has a chance to wilt.  I went a little crazy the last time I was at the grocery store and bought just a little bit too much.  One can only eat so much spinach salad.  oops!

The key to this dish is the ability to make a sauce very quickly by combining 3 ready made ingredients...  Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pasta Water, and either Mascarpone or Cream Cheese; depending on which one is in your refrigerator.

Yep, it really is that simple.  Of course your gonna need a couple of other things, like some long pasta (I like Spaghettini) and the a fore mentioned spinach.  I always have a shallots lying around, so I throw those in as well.  I like shallots, cause it kind of saves on chopping time... It's like Sweet Onion and Garlic all rolled into one papery bundle of goodness.  This particular time, I had some green onions lying around as well, but they are not really necessary to the deliciousness of this creamy spinach pasta dish.

"Creamed" Spinach Pasta

Printable Recipe
10 oz Baby Spinach
1 TB Olive oil
1 Shallot
1 bunch Green Onion (scallions), sliced (white and light green parts)
1 TB Fresh Tarragon, chopped (or 3/4 tsp dried)
1 lb Spaghettini
3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water
8 Oz Mascarpone
1/2 cup (2 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (plus extra for serving)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Place a large stock pot full of water over high flame to bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach and toss it into a large pasta bowl.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium flame.

When the oil is hot, add the shallot and saute about 1 minute.

Add the green onion and tarragon, sauteing about 1 minute more.

Remove from heat and dump on top of the spinach in the pasta bowl.

When the water in the stock pot is boiling, salt it really quick, then drop the pasta.

Cook according to package directions.... Spaghettini usually takes about 6-7 minutes.
Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and into the pasta bowl to help wilt the spinach.

Dip out 3/4 cup of the hot starchy pasta water with a Pyrex pitcher and pour over the spaghettini. (the starch in the water will help bind the sauce together)

Toss this all together a couple times.

Spoon the Mascarpone (or Cream Cheese) over the pasta and toss again.

Once the Mascarpone has melted and become distributed through the pasta, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and toss again until it melts as well.

Season with Salt and Pepper if necessary and serve with Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.

Delicioso!

Mangia!!
~~

On The Road to Rome - Spaghetini alla Carrettiera

Since I have been attempting to crack the code of a Vegan Angel Food cake (Which I am still working on) it started me thinking about other dishes that can be classified as vegan. This just happens to be one of them. A favorite among the Roman Cart-Drivers (thus the name) who transported wine from the Alban hills into Rome.

I sometimes use Leeks instead of Shallots or Onion or throw in some red pepper flake and a few chopped tomatoes but the basic recipe is the same. Beware of the label on your Panko. I use Kikkoman or Ian's, both of which have extremely simple ingredient lists -- Wheat Flour, less than 2% of the following, Evaporated Cane Juice, Yeast, Soybean oil, Salt -- Most regular bread crumbs have a bunch of additives as well as eggs, butter, Buttermilk or milk solids in them. Progresso, my fav, is in this group. The Italian, Regular and Garlic & Herb all contain dairy ingredients. So does the Parmesan, of course, but I think that kind of goes without saying.. ;)

Spaghettini alla Carrettiera

3 oz (6 TB) Olive Oil; plus a little extra for tossing the panko
1 Large Onion or 2 Shallots; minced
2-3 cloves of garlic; minced
2 TB Flat-Leaf Parsley; Finely chopped
1 tsp Dried Oregano -or- 1 TB fresh Oregano
3 1/2 TB Panko
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
16 oz Spaghettini

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt the water.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat Olive Oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Add Onion, Garlic, Parsley, and Oregano; saute until translucent; seasoning with Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, toss Panko with a drizzle of Olive oil then toast in the oven for about 7 minutes; tossing twice.

Drop the Spaghettini and boil until al dente (about 6-7 minutes)

When the sauce is done, remove from the flame.

When Panko is toasty brown, remove it from the oven.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce in a warm bowl.

Serve with a sprinkling of Toasted Panko and a sprig of Parsley.

Mangia!!
~~

Gettin Sauced; Part 2 - Good Ole Spaghettini and Meatballs

After spending a good 7-8 hours making sauce, I like to end the evening with a fairly quick fix for dinner. This involves the now finished sauce and some Italian Sausage meatballs. As seen in the teaser pic on the Tomato sauce post... ;)

Yep, a total cheat recipe as far as the meatballs go. I learned this little trick from Jamie Oliver when he was on Late Night with David Letterman. While David was drinking the Heavy Cream, Jamie was squeezing the sausage out of the casings to make perfect little meatballs. Pretty awesome! Then David started drinking the Olive oil too and I had to change the channel...

Anyway, the point of this post is not so much about David Letterman's oddities, cause I could be here all night typing... ;) But that I have adopted his method as a quick way to make meatballs. Whether as an addition to my favorite pasta dish, which is Linguine alla Carbonara, or a simple dish such as this one. It is pure genius and I love it.

I used "Sweet" Sausage this time, but you can just as easily use the Hot Italian Sausage if you are not a fan of Fennel.

Spaghettini and Sweet Meatballs

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
2 TB Olive Oil (don't drink it please)
1 cup Sangiovese (You can try a Barbera or Nebbiolo too)
2 1/2 -3 cups Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce (depending on how you divided it up)
12 oz Spaghettini or Spaghetti
Basil to taste; either Chopped or more properly, Chiffonade
Parmegiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano for serving.

If your sauce has already been frozen, you will need to thaw it out in some warm water. Bring it as close to room temperature as your can.

Grab a bottle of 2007 Sangiovese, this particular one is a Brunello clone that I picked up from Witch Creek Winery in Julian CA, before I moved back to Oregon... A delicious wine, I just wish I had another bottle...

Begin by pinching the sausage to move the filling out one side...

to form a mini meatball.

You should get about 5 mini meatballs per sausage.

Once you have finished, begin heating the olive oil in a large skillet (I used an electric skillet this time)

Sear the meatballs until browned on all sides, meanwhile begin heating a large pot of water for the Pasta.

Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the Sangiovese, scraping any fond that has accumulated on the bottom of the pan, and reduce the wine to about 1/2 cup.

Add the Tomato Sauce and stir to combine.

When the sauce is homogeneous, add the meatballs back in and reduce the heat to a slow simmer.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water, don't forget to salt the water before adding the pasta.

Continue simmering the meatballs until the pasta is al dente, which for Spaghettini is only about 6-7 minutes, then add the spaghettini to the skillet....

and toss the sauce, spaghettini and meatballs to coat everything nicely. (I see people out there cringing, but I always toss my sauce with my pasta, I don't serve it separately; You can serve it separately if you like) LOL

Serve with Chopped basil and Grated Parmegiano-Reggiano.

Super quick, Super easy and Super delicious...

Mangia!!
~~

This Pasta is Pimpin' ! - Spaghettini alla Puttanesca

Most people have become aware of the origins of this dish.
It's all over the net, usually labeled "Whore Pasta" or something clever like "Pastatute". However there seem to be conflicting stories as the the WHY it is called this.

Some cite it is a 1950's dish created when prostitutes were only allowed to shop 1 day a week, others state it is simply "alla Casalinga" that has been "spiced up" or "tarted up" to use an English phrase; others tout that the scent was used like a "Sirens Song" to draw men to the brothel, some insist that it was the speed at which it could be cooked, eluding that it could be cooked in the time it took to "entertain" a guest, so the meal could be eaten between clients. Which, considering that it only takes about 15 minutes, is kind of insulting to the stamina of Italian men. ;) Finally, others claim that it stems from the word "Puttanata" (meaning Garbage or whatever "Junk" is in the pantry).

The final explanation, although much more prosaic and not as scandalous, makes more sense, at least to me. Standard Puttanesca contains very little in the way of fresh ingredients, like so many other Italian dishes. Everything is preserved in some way shape or form and would be part of a standard dry pantry in Italy, unless you happen to use fresh tomatoes.

You be the judge... Whatever the real story behind Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, it smells incredibly intense, it's quick to prepare and most importantly, extremely delicious!!!!

Historically it is made with Spaghetti or Bucatini, however, my own personal preference is Spaghettini. It's thicker than Capellini (Angel Hair), but thinner than Spaghetti. It seems to be easier to toss with the smaller sized ingredients and, since the sauce is dependent on the loose starch on the surface of the pasta, 1 lb of spaghettini has more surface area than 1 lb of spaghetti; thus the sauce holds together better.

About anchovies.... Please keep an open mind. If you think that you hate anchovies, it could be because you have never had properly prepared Italian ones. Sicily, in particular, produces anchovies packed in Olive oil, with little or no salt. They are more like a sardine. This dish is not suppose to be made with those gnarly over salted rolled up things that adorn WAY too many pizzas in the U.S. We have a glut of bad anchovies in the United States. When in doubt, go for the Anchovy paste, it's very low in salt, and you can control the amount you are using better. 1 inch = 1 anchovy Personally, I love the ones packed in Olive oil, so I use the whole tin (which is a heaping TB of paste)

I simply smash them into a paste with a fork.

About capers.... Whether salt packed or vinegar brined, always quick rinse your capers.
Rough chop them and your good to go.

About olives... I thought I had the Gaeta olives, but I was wrong, so I had to use a can of California black olives. (sigh) Oh well.
Kalamatas will work well also but, alas, I forgot to pick up a jar after I made Focaccia the last time.. oops!!!
Ultimately, you want an oil cured olive like Gaeta or a brined olive like Liguria or Ponentine. But good old California Black ones will work in a pinch. And in all honestly the spirit of the dish is to use what's in the pantry... Please forgive the me for using the wrong olives... :)

Spaghettini alla Puttanesca

1 lb Spaghettini or Bucatini
3 cloves Garlic (minced fine)
1 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flake
3 Anchovy fillets (smashed with a fork) or 2 inches of Anchovy paste.
1 Can (15oz) Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
3 TB Capers in Vinegar, not salt (chopped roughly)
6 oz Black Olives (Cut in Half)
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 sprigs of Flat-leaf Parsley (chopped rough)
3 leaves of chiffonade Basil
optional - Pecorino Romano

In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, sweat briefly.

Add crushed red pepper, and sweat to allow the olive oil to pull flavor from the flakes

Add smashed anchovy and stir until mixed into the hot oil.

Add diced Tomatoes and bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, to reduce it just slightly.

Add olives and capers then bring back to a simmer and hold it for 3 more minutes.

Pour over drained Spaghetti and toss.

Sprinkle with chopped Parsley and chiffonade Basil

Pecorino Romano is completely optional. And in all honestly, since there IS fish in the sauce I tend to not use cheese. Because of the flavor of the dish is SO strong, Parmigiano-Reggiano actually gets lost in this sea of flavor, it's just a little to tame. If you must use cheese I would recommend going with Pecorino Romano it has enough wild backbone to stand up to the riot of flavors.

Mangia!!
~~