Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts

Monday, January 25, 2016

Shrimp pasta in spicy coconut tomato sauce


I have been using coconut milk a lot and it is a great way to turn recipes that use cream or milk into non-dairy by adding coconut milk or almond milk. Both coconut and almond milk give you almost the same texture as adding milk or cream, with a little kick on the flavor.  If you are looking for the texture similar to cream, you can use canned coconut milk. 



















Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound shrimp, without shells, and deveined
* crushed red pepper
* paprika
* salt
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can crushed tomatoes
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon basil
* 1/4 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 cup coconut milk
* 8 oz Rigatoni pasta
  
Instructions:
1. Pad shrimp dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise moisture will form and shrimp won't sear right. And, don't skimp on spices. Using spatula turn shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 2 more minutes.  
2. Remove shrimp to a plate, and leave all the oil in the skillet.
3. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until onions soften.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, basil and oregano, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the sauce reduces just a bit. Add coconut milk, mix it in, and immediately remove from heat.
5. Add back the shrimp and pasta. Mix everything well to combine. Reheat on low simmer, if needed. Do not bring to boil or high heat as it might affect the sauce texture. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Pasta with almond pesto

A lot of us have very busy schedules. Sometimes it is nice to make food ahead of time, save them, and use them later.  The almond pesto is a perfect example. It is very easy to make and you can prepare it ahead of time. You can freeze it and use it whenever you want on a lazy night with delicious dinner.



Ingredients
* 1 pound spaghetti, cooked
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
*3/4 cup whole skinned almonds
*2 cloves garlic
*1-2 fresh red chiles, stalks removed
*2 large bunches of fresh basil
*4 anchovy fillets in oil
*3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
*1/3 cup olive oil
 
Directions
Put the Parmesan, 3/4 cup almonds, 2 peeled cloves garlic and 1-2 chiles into a food provessor and whiz until fine.  while the processor is still running, add 1 1/2 bunches of basil , 4 anchovies, and two-thirds of cherry tomatoes. Whiz to a paste, then add olive oil. Taste and season if needed, then put aside. Halve or quarter the remaining tomatoes, then put aside. Add the paste to the cooked pasta when it is still hot, toss quickly, mix well to coat the pasta. Add a splash of water to make it silky and loose. Scatter the reserved cherry tomatoes and basil on top and take to the table.




Saturday, March 2, 2013

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

A lot of us like mac and cheese. In my opinion, homemade mac and cheese tasted better than preparing them from a box. Even better, this recipe added cauliflower, which blend very well with the mac and cheese . If you want a vegetarian version, you can skip the pancetta.




















Ingredients
* 8 slices pancetta
*1 large head of cauliflower
*1 pound dried macaroni
*2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
*4 thick slices of country bread
*a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
*2 cloves garlic, crushed
*1 cup creme fraiche
*Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions
1. Preheat oven on to 425F.  Lay the pancetta in a dutch oven, uncovered, put on the top shelf of the oven.
2. Ged rid of any tatty outer leaves from the cauliflower, then trim off the tough base of the stalk and quarter the head. Put in a large saucepan, core downwards, with the pasta, on a high heat. Season with a pinch of salt, drizzle over a little olive oil, then stir and cook following the package instructions, cover the saucepan with lid.
3. In a food processor, fit the standard blade attachment, then get your pancetta out of the oven and blitz in the processor with the bread, rosemary, and a some olive oil until you have a coarse breadcrumb consistency.
4. Reserve 1-2 cups of hot pasta water. Drain the pasta and cauliflower. Pour into the dutch oven you cooked your pancetta in, and put over a low heat. Add the reserved pasta water. Add garlic, creme fraiche and sharp Cheddar cheese, gently breaking up the cauliflower with tongs or a potato masher. Have a taste and correct the seasoning. Spread out evenly and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Put on the top shelf of the oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve the mac with Parmesan.