Pasta Artistica: May 2011

Extreme Habanero with Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Mango Salsa (serves 4 - 6)

Pappardelle's Extreme Habanero Radiatore needs a warning label...aya caramba! I may be a lightweight in the spice department, but by the time I was done eating my plated portion, my mouth was on fire! I was frantically searching for more mango salsa to cool it down. Aside from it's spiciness, the dish as a whole danced on my palate. The fire of the pasta below gave way to the cool mango salsa on top. What a great twist on a pasta sauce. The color of the dish had me reminiscent of a Caribbean sunset. Want a vegetarian makeover? Try using grilled eggplant and onion in place of the chicken (see picture below).

Ingredients

1 lb. Pappardelle's Extreme Habanero Radiatore
2 cups chopped pitted peeled mango
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil

Method

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor, or blender. Process until almost smooth.

2. Cover and chill the salsa for 2 hours.

3. Rub chicken breasts lightly with oil. Dust with dry Jamaican Jerk seasoning. Marinade for one hour. Grill and slice.

4. Cook and toss the Extreme Habanero Radiatore with extra virgin olive oil.

5. Mix the sliced chicken with the radiatore. Top with the mango salsa.

Use grilled eggplant and onion instead of chicken!

Additions/Suggestions

Make it vegetarian! Slice up one medium size eggplant and one medium size onion in 1/2 inch slices. Prepare the same way as you would the chicken.

Source of Inspiration

The recipe comes from none other then Pappardelle's Pasta! The photo and description come courtesy of the Pasta Artistica Test Kitchen!

Cubano Orzo with Sautéed Corn and Tomato Salsa (serves 4 - 6)

We can't get enough of eating orzo especially as the mercury rises. Here we put Pappardelle's new Cubano Orzo to the test. I'm originally from Colorado, so the Southwest flair of this recipe piqued my taste buds. It didn't produce what you would think of as a traditional "salsa," but it was still tasty. I prefer my "salsas" spicy, so I sprinkled in some crushed red pepper flakes. The corn and cilantro flavor combination was my favorite in this dish. Next time, I'm using roasted corn!

Ingredients

1 lb. Pappardelle's Cubano Orzo
3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 cup chopped tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Cook pasta in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and rinse.

2. Heat oil in large skillet and saute garlic for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Drain corn well and add to garlic with tomato; cook and stir until hot.

4. Add basil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Serve.

Source of Inspiration

The recipe comes from none other then Pappardelle's Pasta! The photo and description come courtesy of the Pasta Artistica Test Kitchen!

Lemon Garlic Orzo Salad with Farmers’ Market Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs (serves 6)

I was a little skeptical of how this recipe would taste, but WOW was I pleasantly surprised! It is Greek tasting through and through. All of the fresh herbs are well-balanced. The saltiness of the olives round out the tartness of the lemon juice and lemon pasta. It's light in flavor making this a great lunch option. In addition, the color of each ingredient adds to its visual appeal.

Ingredients

½ lb. Pappardelle’s Lemon Garlic Orzo
2 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar (we used red wine vinegar)

Juice from 1 lemon (we used 3 Tbs of bottled lemon juice)

½ cup olive oil (we used 1/4 cup)
1 ¼ pounds heirloom (or other fresh tomatoes) tomatoes cut into ½ inch pieces (we used 1/2 cup of Roma tomatoes because that's all we had!)
¾ cup chopped green onions* (we used 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely minced*
½ cup sliced pitted oil-cured black or green olives* (we used Kalamata olives)
½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
½ cup chopped fresh mint (we used 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (we omitted this)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

1. Cook orzo in large pot of lightly salted boiling water until done, about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Transfer to a medium bowl; cool.

2. Whisk vinegar and lemon juice in small bowl; gradually whisk in oil. Pour dressing over orzo. Mix in remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Mix well before serving.

Additional Suggestions

-- Replace the “*” items with ¼ cup Pappardelle’s Basil Pesto and cut back the amount of olive oil to ¼ cup
-- Add 2 pounds of lightly sauteed veggies (onion, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, etc.) at the end
-- Serve with sprinkled feta cheese on top, warm pita bread, and hummus

Source of Inspiration

The recipe comes from none other then Pappardelle's Pasta! The photo, description, and substitutions come courtesy of the Pasta Artistica Test Kitchen!

Drag-it-Through-the-Garden Pasta Pomodoro (serves 4-6)

There's nothing like the spring harvest to bring in the freshest veggies and herbs after enduring a long winter. This dish is light and spicy, perfect for a spring dinner on the patio. Choose any combination of veggies that are in season from your garden or that you find at your local farmers' market. A mix of colors is pleasing to the eye and to the palate. You can also be creative with your pasta flavors. We selected the Basil Garlic for its traditional Italian flavor and turned up the heat with the Spicy Thai.

Ingredients

1/2 pound of Pappardelle's Basil Garlic Fettuccine
1/2 pound of Pappardelle's Spicy Thai Linguine
1 Tbsp of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
6 cups of fresh vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, snap peas, eggplant, etc.), chopped into large, but similar sizes
3 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of packed, fresh basil, chopped
1/8 cup of packed, fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and return to pot.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute garlic and onions for 5 minutes, or until slightly browned.
3. Add the fresh vegetables to the garlic and onions and continue sauteing for an additional 3-4 minutes until slightly softened, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes) to the veggie mixture and heat for 1-2 minutes.
5. Combine pasta with veggies and serve.

Source of Inspiration

This comes compliments of the Pasta Artistica Test Kitchen. We found this dish to be even better the next day. Serve chilled if it's a warm evening. This is an ode to everything springy!