Tag Archives: Pasta

I’m back…

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24

Sorry about that!

About two months ago, I made the decision to run in a local election to serve on the Saint John city council. I’ve done it before. For five weeks, completely immersed in the campaign, I ignored housework, laundry, the city garden, the farm… Basically, my life was put on hold while I tried to win. I lost.

So that’s that. Time to launch the summer menu at Italian by Night, get things packed up for the farm, button up Carmarthen St and best of all start focusing on Fynnigan!

Fynnigan

He arrived on May 3. All six pounds of him! Ralph and I are head over heels…

Spaghetti with fiddleheads and shrimp

It’s Spring here in New Brunswick which means lighter dishes full of bright green. I think I’ll surprise Ralph today and serve a shrimp and fiddlehead pasta for lunch. He’s been living on grilled cheese sandwiches so I’ve got some catching up to do! He’s so patient…

Spaghetti with fiddleheads and shrimp

Spaghetti with Fiddleheads and Shrimp

Serves 2-3

½ lb spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. fiddleheads, cleaned
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
Sea slat flakes and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons lemon juice
In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente.
Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat butter with oil over medium-high heat.
Sauté fiddleheads, hot pepper flakes and garlic until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.

Add shrimp, cook until shrimp are just pink.
Add reserved pasta water and lemon juice.
Add parsley, lemon zest and pasta then toss well.
Season with sea salt and pepper and serve.

THE LOVE: Keep in mind that your shrimp will keep cooking even after you remove the skillet from the heat. Be sure not to over cook them! I also added some asparagus tips just for fun.

printable copy

Spaghetti with fiddleheads and shrimp

one year ago: banana split bread

two years ago: raspberry cobbler

Thanks for reading.

cacio e pepe – easy, quick and fantastic

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10

cacio e pepe

One of the things that I find difficult about cooking professionally is feeding myself. I’m not a breakfast person so that meal consists of two cups of coffee. Prepping for the evening service happens during lunch which leaves me wolfing down a sandwich as I chop and stir. Dinner falls somewhere between 8 and 10 pm when I’m cock-eyed from hunger. Last winter, Dr. Oekter frozen pizzas became my meal of choice because they’re fast. It’s crazy that I refuse to take ten more minutes from my day to prepare something homemade for me to eat. I guarantee you if I had the chance to cook for one more customer I would!

Given that Italian food is my specialty, not feeding myself is pitiful. In the time it takes to boil water and cook some pasta, dinner could be on the table.

From this day forward, I am committing to feed myself well on the evenings that I work.

I don’t have to think very hard to come up with simple pasta dishes. Many of the classic sauces were invented by hard-working Italians that were too busy to spend hours in the kitchen but still wanted something tasty to eat. Cacio e Pepe [cheese and pepper] is a simple, fast and delicious classic on every menu in Rome. I tried it this summer, loved it and have been working on the recipe since then. The first time that I served it to Ralph, we both had choking fits from the amount of pepper that I used! The secret to this dish is finding the perfect balance between the heat of the pepper and the richness from the cheese. I nailed it today!

If you like black pepper, this is your pasta.

cacio e pepe

Cacio e Pepe

8 ounces dry pasta - I used tagliatelle

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese – reggiano parmigiano

3 tablespoons butter

Prepare pasta according to manufacturer’s instructions

As the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large heavy bottomed skillet

Add ground pepper and cooked pasta along with 1/4 cup of pasta water.

Add cheese, toss well, plate and serve.

I’ll keep you posted as to how well I feed myself over the next few months. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading.