Vietnamese-American Garlic Noodles

I’m a garlic girl but even I was worried that this dish was going to be so garlicky it may be overpowering. Nope. Twenty cloves!

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook “The Wok” by J. Kenji López-Alt, based on the noodle dish originally created and served by Helene An at San Francisco’s Thanh Long restaurant, via The New York Times.

Lopez-Alt uses the genius technique of cooking the pasta in a minimal amount of liquid which expedites the cooking process. The starch-concentrated pasta water is then used in the sauce. This dish was crazy quick to prepare and was absolutely packed with flavor. We ate it with roasted asparagus on the side.

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 20 medium garlic cloves, minced or smashed in a mortar and pestle
• 4 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce or shoyu
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 pound dry spaghetti or linguine fini
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (heaping 1/4 cup)(I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
•  small handful of thinly sliced scallions (I used 4 scallions)

1. Use a food processor to mince the garlic cloves, if desired. (I used a mini food processor.)
2. Melt the butter in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. (I used a stainless all-in-one pan.)
3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
5. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a 12-​inch skillet or sauté pan over high heat. (Alternatively, heat up just enough water to cover the spaghetti in a large Dutch oven or saucepan.)
6. Add the pasta, stir a few times to make sure it’s not clumping, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes short of the recommended cook time on the package). (I used linguine fini and cooked it for a total of 4 minutes.)
7. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the garlic sauce, along with whatever water clings to it. Reserve the pasta water in the skillet; set aside.
8. Increase the heat to high, add the cheese to the pasta and sauce, and stir with a wooden spatula or spoon, tossing vigorously until the sauce is creamy and emulsified, about 30 seconds. If the sauce looks too watery, let it keep reducing. If it looks greasy, splash some more pasta cooking water and let it re-​emulsify.
9. Stir in the scallions and serve immediately.

Pasta with Pestocado (Avocado Pesto) & Broccoli

According to America’s Test Kitchen, Pestocado is the “hottest new ‘it’ sauce.” Avocado replaces the cheese in this full-flavored pesto. It was creamy and delicious.

The recipe was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s cookbook, More Mediterranean, via americastestkitchen.com. I modified the method and used linguine fini, Meyer lemon, walnuts, and two garlic cloves. Easy and great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 T table salt, for cooking broccoli and pasta
• 12 to 16 ounces broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 pound spaghettini, or spaghetti
• 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios or walnuts, toasted and chopped, divided
• 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed
• 2 tsp toasted fennel seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice (I used Meyer lemon)
• 1/4 cup (4 T) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat an oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop.
2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon table salt and broccoli stalks and cook for 1 minute. Add florets and cook until stalks and florets are tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to colander set over bowl (do not discard boiling water). Let broccoli drain and cool slightly, about 5 minutes; set aside.
4. Add pasta to reserved boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
5. Process 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, avocado, basil, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, anchovies, fennel seeds, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and coarse salt in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
6. With processor running, slowly add oil until incorporated, about 15 seconds.
7. Add pesto to pasta in pot and toss until sauce evenly coats pasta, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed.
8. Stir in remaining broccoli and season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pistachios. Garnish with fresh basil and drizzle with extra oil, as desired. Serve.

Bucatini with Roasted & Fresh Tomatoes

This is a wonderful seasonal dish to make with summer tomatoes. It was especially fabulous with my new favorite pasta, bucatini, too. We ate it warm but it could also be enjoyed at room temperature. The crunchy, cheesy croutons really added something special.

I used store-bought ricotta as a shortcut, but included a link to freshly made ricotta below. This recipe was (very slightly) adapted from Martha Stewart Living. Quick and delicious!

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes (3 cups)
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 slices rustic bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces (1 1/2 cups) (I used Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (1/2 ounce), plus more for serving
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into a 1/2-inch dice (2 cups)
• 1/4 cup packed shredded fresh basil, plus sprigs for serving
• 3 tablespoons shredded fresh mint, plus sprigs for serving (I omitted the mint)
• 12 ounces bucatini, spaghetti, or linguine
• 1 cup fresh ricotta

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. In an 8-inch square baking dish, toss cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until bursting and charred in spots, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with 2 tablespoons oil and Pecorino Romano; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, about 12 minutes.
4. Toss diced tomatoes, basil, and mint (if using) with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta; cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup liquid; drain.
6. Return pasta to pot; toss with roasted tomatoes, their oil, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. (Tomatoes should coat pasta but not create much of a sauce.) Season with salt and pepper.
7. Divide among plates, then give each a dollop of ricotta, a spoonful of fresh-tomato mixture, and a sprinkle of croutons.
8. Serve, garnished with a sprig or two of herbs, a generous drizzle of oil, and some cheese and pepper.

One Year Ago:

• Fresh Tomato Sauce

Two Years Ago:

• Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Basil, & Ricotta
• Pappardelle with Mashed Peas & Pecorino

Three Years Ago:

• Spinach & Ricotta Pappardelle
• Herbed Ricotta Pasta with Corn & Zucchini

Four Years Ago:

• Mini-Farfalle with Zucchini & Parsley-Walnut Pesto
• Panzanella with Ricotta

Linguine with Asparagus & Egg

Oh my. It has been a long time since I’ve devoted time to blogging. Spring yard work and cleaning always consumes my schedule this time of year. (and I am so exhausted from doing all of it… I can’t muster up any energy in my spare time to do anything else. ) I have been cooking though! TONS of tasty and quick dishes… I plan to start sharing some of them with you! 🙂

I love the combination of asparagus and eggs. It screams springtime to me. This vegetarian main dish is simple and delicious. The recipe was adapted from Everyday Food. I doubled the asparagus and used Parmigiano Reggiano and linguine fini noodles. We ate the leftovers with sliced and diced hardboiled eggs over the top. Great.

Yield: Serves 4, generously

• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound linguine fini (I used Barilla), linguine, fettuccine
• 2 1/4 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (1/2 ounce), plus more for serving
• 4 large eggs

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, adding the asparagus in the last two minutes of cooking (if large) and last minute of cooking (if thin).
2. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; drain pasta and asparagus and return to pot along with butter and Parmesan. Toss until butter is melted, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta.
3. While pasta is cooking, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches water over medium until a few bubbles rise to the top.
4. Crack each egg into a small bowl and gently pour into skillet. Partially cover, and cook until whites are set and yolks are runny, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
5. To serve, divide pasta among 4 bowls, top each serving with an egg, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with additional cheese, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Rigatoni with Lemon-Chile Pesto & Grated Egg

Two Years Ago:

• Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus, Peas, & Mushrooms
• Saffron Pappardelle with Moroccan Spiced Shallot-Butter Sauce

Three Years Ago:

• Margherita Pizza with Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil
• Perfect Pizza Sauce