Spicy & Garlicky Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pappardelle

Do you ever feel like you are fighting nature at every turn? Weeds? Insects? Pollen? Leaves? In our yard we have to add Canadian geese to that list. We can barely scare them away at this point! The families hanging out in our yard are absolutely adorable… we just wish that they didn’t leave anything behind….

I have been so busy fighting nature recently that it’s kept me out of the kitchen. 🙂 This was a delicious and quick cooking meal with wonderful fresh flavors. It’s traditional Italian name is Tagliatelle All’Aglione- in Tuscany- named for the generous amount of garlic (aglio in Italian) in the sauce. This recipe, a staff-favorite, was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Paolo Coluccio. We ate it with green salad and Whole Wheat Spicy Herb and Garlic Bread. Lots of garlic and lots of spice- Great!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1/2 cup (8 T) extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• coarse salt, to taste
• 1 pound dried tagliatelle (I substituted pappardelle)

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and form a sauce, 10-20 minutes. Season the sauce with salt to taste; keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain well.
4. Add the pasta and half of the cooking water to the sauce and toss over moderately low heat until coated, 2 minutes; add more of the cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Transfer the pasta to shallow bowls and serve.

Note: The sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat before tossing with the pasta.

One Year Ago:

• Spicy Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli Rabe

Whole Wheat Spicy Herb and Garlic Bread Loaf

I initially made this bread to serve with a simple pasta dish, but thankfully we had leftovers the next day to use to make delicious gruyere grilled cheese. 🙂 This loaf is my first entry in the Fiesta Friday Challenge #1 at The Novice Gardener: posting a dish using both yeast and herbs. Was it cheating (or exceptionally clever?) to use a bread machine? 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Scientifically Sweet, via Foodgawker. I modified the recipe to make it more garlicky and less spicy. I also adapted it to bake in a bread machine, used a combination of whole wheat and bread flours, and added olive-oil to the dough. Easy & tasty!

Yield: One 1 1/2 pound loaf

• 1 ½ cups tepid water, no hotter than 110 degrees F
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for the dough, and 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil for brushing the top of the loaf
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 ½ tsp instant dry yeast
• 6 oz white whole wheat flour
• 10 oz bread flour
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp dried red chili pepper flakes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• coarse salt, for sprinkling, to taste, optional

1. Measure all ingredients into bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer. (My machine suggests to place all liquid ingredients in the base of the pan, followed by the dry ingredients, and finally to place the yeast in a well on top of the dry ingredients before processing.)
2. Process on whole wheat bread cycle; use medium/normal crust color setting.
3. 30 minutes before the end of baking, brush the top of the loaf with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.
4. Remove bread from pan; cool on wire rack.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Carrot-Pine Nut Romesco Sauce

This dish was unbelievably flavorful, colorful, delicious, healthy, and quick to prepare! I am such a fan of Spanish romesco sauce which is usually prepared with red bell peppers; this carrot-pine nut version was wonderful. This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit. I increased the amount of pork, greens, and red wine vinegar. I also used red pepper flakes instead of Aleppo pepper and baby arugula in lieu of watercress or baby mustard greens. We ate it with roasted gold potatoes on the side. Fabulous!!

• ¼ cup raw pine nuts
• 1½ pound small carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if larger
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium pork tenderloins
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided, plus more to taste
• 7 ounces spicy greens, such as baby arugula, watercress, or baby mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350° (on convection roast).
2. Toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes; let cool.
3. Increase temperature to 450° (on convection roast). Toss carrots with 1 Tbsp. oil on another rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until softened and browned, 15–20 minutes; let cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season tenderloins with salt and black pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 10–15 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 145°, 8–10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
5. Mince garlic in a food processor. Add toasted pine nuts and remaining 3 Tbsp. oil and pulse to a coarse paste. Add Aleppo pepper, one-fourth of carrots, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. water. Process, adding more water as needed, to a coarse purée; season romesco with salt, black pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.
6. Toss greens with remaining carrots and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a large bowl; season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle pork with pan juices. Serve pork with romesco and salad.

One Year Ago:

• Moussaka

If you like this you may also like:

• Broccoli Salad with Hazelnut Romesco Sauce