Pasta and Rice

Asiago Mac and Cheese Pie with Truffled Potato Crust or Timballo di Maccheroni

27 Jan 2012
Asiago Mac and Cheese with Truffled Potato Crust

 

I have a not-so-classic Asiago Mac and Cheese Pie with Truffled Potato Crust for you today that could pass for a geography lesson, or maybe even a life lesson. It may seem like a simple but comforting baked pasta, but unique ingredients and an international pedigree make it something more too.

This "pie" is dense with penne pasta, creamy Wisconsin Asiago cheese and Tuscan kale. I have given it an Idaho potato crust that is scented with truffle oil. I call it a non-traditional pie, but it's really a variation on timballo di maccheroni, a traditional drum-shaped baked pasta dish from Naples and the surrounding Campania region of Italy. Some few years ago, in a movie called "Big Night," the preparation of a timballo di maccheroni was featured in a big way. It made a big impression on audiences. Me included. Recipes for timballi proliferated and suddenly the dish came to the attention of Americans. Since then I have made some variation many, many times. But the more I make it the more it becomes (at least in my mind) another great take on good ole Mac & Cheese. Another example of cross-cultural culinary calisthenics.

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Not Ferret Fritters... Farro Fritters!

25 Jan 2012
Farro Fritters

I am pretty proud of today's Farro & Sun-Dried Tomato Fritters though I admit they don't really look like much. That's one of the problems facing food bloggers these days. If you want to reach a wide audience (and who doesn't) your food has to look extra special scrumptious, be super colorful, get wrapped in bacon, or at least have a peanut butter swirl. These foods may look pretty (especially when they are tied up in a bow), but they don't always ignite the imaginations of the more mature palates amongst us. It is kind of a Catch 22. Because the very sites (FoodGawker, TasteSpotting and more and more Pinterest) that have brought food bloggers together as a powerful community have also played a part in limiting what defines good food on the web. Leaving really delicious or super sophisticated food cast aside as un-loved and un-clicked.

That's why I feel so sad for these fritters. Sure they look like hard brown hockey pucks. But they're not, I promise you. Farro is delicious. It's got a nutty taste and a terrific texture. Farro contains a starch similar to that found in Arborio rice. It releases a creamy, binding liquid when cooked. But it retains its tender, distinct bite, much better than rice. Making it a perfect choice for fritters. But I have a feeling none of that matters. In fact I may as well have titled this recipe Ferret Fritters, at least I'd get the friends of ferrets society up in arms. Hmmm... just how big an audience are ferret lovers any way? GREG

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Asiago Mac and Cheese with Truffled Potato Crust

Asiago Mac and Cheese with Truffled Potato Crust (timballo di maccheroni)
By jgreghenry Published December 26, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb dried penne pasta
  • 1.5 lb idaho russet potatoes
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 1 t white truffle oil
  • 2 scallions, white & light green parts, minced
  • 1 pn each, kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, plus more as needed
  • 2 c half and half
  • 0.25 t crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 c asiago cheese, grated
  • 0.25 t freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, peeled & minced
  • 3 c lightly packed shredded tuscan kale
  • 4 oz sliced prosciutto
  • 12 sage leaves, minced
  • 0.25 c parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for passing

Directions

Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.

Heat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes until tender, about 45 minutes. Let them cool slightly, then peel the potatoes with your hands. The peels should come off easily. Discard the skins. Push the potatoes through a ricer into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the butter, truffle oil and scallions until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, press the potato mixture evenly across the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until lightly browned on the edges, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Bring the half-and-half to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the red pepper flakes. Let the mixture cool slightly, then briskly whisk in eggs, egg yolks, Asiago, and nutmeg. Season with more salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Stir the cooked penne, Asiago mixture, kale mixture, prosciutto, and sage into a large bowl until well combined. Scrape this mixture over the potato crust and spread evenly. Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake until well-browned on the tips of the penne, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a rack before releasing the springform pan. Slice into wedges and serve warm with additional Parmesan passed at the table.

"Hello Gorgeous!" Spicy Turmeric & Habanero Clam Linguine

06 Dec 2011
clams with linguine and habanero

It's easy to cook clams. Heat them in a flavorful broth a few minutes, then watch them pop open their shells and say "Hello Gorgeous!"

That's my favorite line from Funny Girl. Though I don't think Barbra Streisand's Ms. Brice meant clams– or shellfish for that matter. Still I impersonate her tonality whenever faced with a big bowl of steaming clams. "Hello Gorgeous!"

You wouldn't think of clams as gorgeous at first glance. And that's my point. Clams are sweet. Clams are briny. Doesn't that seem like an oxymoron?

But it may be these two opposing forces that make clams so unexpectedly sure of themselves. It gives them the Fanny Brice style self-esteem to unabashedly mingle with all sorts of partners. One of the boldest combinations I can think of is turmeric and roasted garlic. Turmeric and roasted garlic are great place to start for most any shellfish. Trust me. It's a fact.

But habanero, turmeric and roasted garlic is really something to look at! Add stunningly fresh shellfish to this trio and you too will be quoting Funny Girl. So come on. Bring a large pot of this flavorful combination to a boil. Add clams and cover the pot. Lower the heat and shake a few times while they simmer. In less than 8 minutes the shells should have opened and the shellfish will be fragrant and cooked to perfection. Toss with linguine... "Hello Gorgeous!"

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Spicy Turmeric & Habanero Clam Linguine

Spicy Turmeric & Habanero Clam Linguine
By jgreghenry Published December 6, 2011
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 8 clv garlic, unpeeled
  • 2 T kosher salt, plus more as seasoning as needed
  • 1 lb dried linguine
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 0.5 t ground turmeric
  • 1 habanero, seeded & minced, plus more for garnish if desired
  • 2 c packed whole basil leaves plus 1/2 cup chopped basil
  • 1 T coarsely cracked black pepper
  • 0.25 c gin
  • 1 c bottled clam juice
  • 48 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  • 1 lime, zest only
  • 2 T fresh lime juice
  • 4 T unsalted butter
  • 0.5 t turmeric

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Loosely wrap the garlic cloves in foil and bake for about 25 minutes, until very soft. Peel the garlic. Set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt. Drop the pasta into the boiling water, stir to separate and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Reserving the empty pot to use later.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic, turmeric and minced habanero and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the whole basil leaves, black pepper, gin and clam juice, cover and cook over low heat until the liquid has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Strain the reduction into the large large pot you boiled the linguine in, pressing on the solids.

Bring the strained liquid to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook, shaking the pot a few times, until they start to open, 3 minutes; as the clams open, transfer them to a bowl and keep covered. When all of the clams have opened, boil the broth over high heat until reduced to about 2 cups of clam broth, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime zest and lime juice.

Add the cooked linguine to the pot with the reduced clam broth and toss to coat. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated into the sauce. Transfer the pasta to the pot, stirring to combine. Turn the pasta out onto a serving bowl. Top with the clams, chopped basil and additional minced habernero if desired. Serve warm with lime wedges on the side.

Source: Adapted from Zakary Pelaccio