Tag Archives: pasta

Dining, Recipes

Recipe…for Pasta Disaster

I don’t know what it is…but every few months or so I go back to cooking pasta in the slow cooker.

It never EVER ends well.

Most pastas just don’t take very well to long and slow cooking. And the type of slow cookersco use don’t have timers.

I get excited when I find the perfect recipe for bechamel or cream sauce, whip up a batch, dump it along with uncooked pasta in the cooker, then set it and forget it.

Two hours later…

The result is usually some cheesy sodden mush that would likely impress children, but not their parents. Which is a damn shame given the time and dollars I wasted sourcing the best ingredients…only to have it end in an ugly overcooked pile.

So this is a note to self: stop making pasta in the slow cooker.

And before I embark on that slow cooker lasagna recipe…do more research!

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Gluten Free Garlicky Anchovy Penne Pasta

Anchovies. It’s a fish that doesn’t garner much affection. I suspect most people just can’t handle the strong flavor and/or odors that arise from preserving and curing the fish. It’s the basis of fish sauce found in most Asian markets–which depending on your tastes, will either be fantastically savory or revoltingly pungent. It’s also used widely in other condiments such as Worcestershire sauce and Caesar dressing. In Filipino cuisine, it is used for some bagoong (shrimp or fish paste) recipes as well as prepared fried or dried. The saltier the better!

In Western preparations, I’ve mostly encountered anchovies used very sparingly as pizza topping or salad dressing. But I’ve found anchovies most irresistible in a Sicilian pasta recipe.

I was all set to boil some mozzarella gnocchi last night when I realized that the gooey cheese paste that resulted just wasn’t easily workable. So much for a low/no carb attempt! My fallback plan was a box of gluten free penne sitting in my pantry for such an emergency. Warning: lots of garlic ahead!

20160517_GF Garlic Anchovy Penne

  • 6oz (168g), dry weight penne rigate (Ronzoni Gluten Free brand)
  • 3.50 oz, Marinated Anchovy fillets In Garlic (FruitsdeMer brand)
  • 3 oz(s), Garlic, raw, minced or pressed
  • 6 Tbsp, Salted Butter
  • 2 tbsp, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp, Spices, garlic powder
  • 1 dash, Spices, pepper, black
  • 0.25 tsp, Spices, pepper, red or cayenne

Melt butter slowly over low heat in a chef pan or wok, taking care not burn the solids. Meanwhile, mince or press garlic and add to the melted butter, reserving some fresh garlic for topping. Add olive oil to mix, slowly cook the garlic for about 20 minutes until aromatic. Again, take care not to burn the garlic.

Add anchovies to garlic butter sauce and mash the fillets until it becomes a puree. Season with garlic powder, cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Continue to stir, taking care not to burn the sauce.

Meanwhile, cook penne pasta according to package instructions, in salted boiling water, about 9 minutes for al dente. Drain pasta and toss with anchovy sauce. Best garnished with fresh garlic, grated parmesan, chopped basil, and/or chopped parsley.

Yields about 17.5 oz of pasta, serves 2, but it’s soooo good you might not want to share!

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 8.75oz serving:
873 Calories
83g Carbs
54g Fat
14g Protein
1g Sugar
4g Fiber

Recipes

Lobster-Crab Shells and Cheese

2 4oz lobster tails
4oz fontina cheese
4oz gruyere
4-6oz aged white cheddar
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of milk
16oz medium pasta shells
2-4oz butter
2-4 tablespoons flour
6oz white crab meat (usually shredded but chunk okay)
1 tablespoons of fresh or dried basil (optional)
garlic powder
pepper (white pepper optimal)

Cut lobster tails in half and let marinade in melted butter for 10-20 minutes. Fire up the grill and heat until flames burn down, and coals are grey and hot. Place tails meat side down and grill for 2-3 minutes. Turn over tails, drizzle any remaining butter into the meat, and grill for another 2-3 minutes. Lobster tails should be a nice opaque white/pink to indicate doneness.

Boil pasta shells until al dente, about 9-10 minutes, drain. Prepare the butter-flour roux in a sauce pan, mixing over medium heat, keeping the roux at a pale, creamy color. Add the cream until heated through. Meanwhile, chop into cubes or shred all cheeses (easier to shred if cheese is hardened). Stir in cheese slowly in batches, making sure that each batch is melted and incorporated thoroughly before adding the next batch. Add milk to thin the cheese sauce if necessary. Reduce heat to medium-low, continue to stir so that cheese sauce doesn’t burn. Season with garlic powder and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to bowl. Pour cheese sauce over pasta. Mix crab meat into pasta, fold until shells are coated with sauce and crab meat.

Remove lobster from tails and chop into chunks, then use as a topping on the pasta. Sprinkle chopped basil leaves for color and flavoring over the pasta.