Four Spring Pasta Dishes

 

Easy Puttanesca

SERVES 2 

Created by Milo Cruz, chef, food blogger and chief marketing officer of Legend Cookware

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic

4 black olives

4 green olives

1½ tablespoons capers

8 cherry tomatoes

2 sprigs fresh basil, plus

extra sprigs if desired

3 tablespoons extra-virgin

olive oil

2 to 3 anchovy fillets

Cooked pasta of your

choice, enough for 2

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan to taste

 

Directions

Slice garlic into fine slivers. Remove pits from olives, and slice thinly. Finely chop capers. Slice tomatoes in half. Finely chop 2 sprigs of basil. Put olive oil in a large pan over low to medium heat. Add anchovies, garlic, olives, capers and tomatoes, then cook until tomatoes are tender. Add pasta directly into the pan; toss everything together. Add chopped basil. If desired, add more basil sprigs. Give everything a final mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste, top with Parmesan. Serve immediately.

 

Herbed Pasta

Salad SERVES 6 TO 8

Created by George Duran, author of Take This Dish and Twist It and host of the Food Network’s Ham on the Street

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces of bite-size pasta (rotini, ziti or other)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cubes Dorot Gardens Frozen Garlic

3 cubes each of Dorot Gardens frozen basil, parsley and cilantro

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup grated Parmesan

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta as indicated on the packaging. As pasta cooks, put olive oil into a small microwave-safe bowl. Add frozen garlic. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove and add frozen basil, parsley, and cilantro. Allow residual heat to thaw herbs; mix them. Mix pasta with herbs, pine nuts, lemon juice, Parmesan, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

  

 

Penne Rigate

SERVES 2

Created by Kai Chase, personal chef for A-list celebs

INGREDIENTS

3 cups penne

½ cup artichoke hearts

1 cup asparagus tips and stalks

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Butter, for sautéing

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups heavy cream

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried basil

flakes

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup peas

Grated Parmesan

Toasted pine nuts

Fill a medium saucepan with 3 to 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Pour penne into saucepan; boil until tender (for 5 to 10 minutes), and save ⅓ cup pasta water for later. While penne cooks, coarsely chop artichoke hearts; cut asparagus into quarters. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high setting, until hot but not smoking. Add butter and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Stir in lemon juice and heavy cream, and let simmer until thickened, for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in dried basil flakes. Slowly add cooked penne and baby spinach, and cook until spinach begins to wilt. Add asparagus and peas, stirring until tender. Stir in reserved pasta water, and stir in artichoke hearts. Cook until tender. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and as much grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts as you like. Stir and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes before removing from heat. Garnish with more Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Serve.

 

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pasta

SERVES 2 TO 4

Created by Molly Madigan Pisula, food blogger and food photographer for the website Vanilla Bean Cuisine

“This dish is perfect for spring, as it showcases fresh asparagus and tastes light and bright with the combination of crème fraiche, lemon juice and smoked salmon,” Pisula says.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound asparagus

1 clove garlic

4 ounces cold smoked salmon

1 tablespoon olive oil

9 ounces of dried pasta

2½ ounces crème fraiche

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped chives or garnish

Lemon wedges for serving

Rinse asparagus and pat dry. Snap off or cut off the bottom inch of the stems. If you are working with thick asparagus stalks, peel the outside layer of skin with a vegetable peeler. Then slice stalks into 2-inch chunks; cut in half horizontally any stalk pieces that are more than a finger’s width in thickness. Mince garlic. Chop smoked salmon into bite-size pieces. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add asparagus, and cook for 5 to 15 minutes, stirring often. When done, asparagus will be crisp-tender and start to brown. Cook time will vary based on the thickness of the asparagus stalks. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, following instructions on the packaging. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pan. Stir in crème fraiche, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Gradually add ¼ cup pasta water, stirring gently. If the pasta is not saucy enough, add more pasta water. Stir in asparagus, then gently stir in smoked salmon. If your pasta or pan is still quite hot, you may want to serve the pasta with just asparagus stirred in. Then add smoked salmon on top, so the salmon’s texture is not altered by stirring it into hot pasta. Garnish with chopped chives and serve with lemon wedges.

For more pasta recipes, visit thegirlfriend.com.

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Photo Credits: Johnny Autry (Food and prop stylist: Charlotte Autry)