Lobster spaghetti

[adapted from Hendersontohome] 

1. Boil a pot water, put in lobster, leave for 1 min and then put into ice water. This is to kill the lobster and so the flesh comes away from the shell easily.

2. Twist the head away, and then cut the shell down the tail and you should get a pretty in tact tail.


3. twist away the arms and with the back of the knife crack the claws and remove the flesh.


4. Pop all the bones in a pot with some mirepoix veg ( onion, celery, carrot, fennel ) whatever you have. If you have some tomatoes add, basil stalks, parsley stalks. Basically you are just making a stock for the sauce. Cover with water and simmer for 2 hours. Strain.

5. In a pan, EVO, finely chopped garlic, chilli and sauté for a min ( don't burn ) add some quartered cherry tomatoes. Eventually add the coral and smush to make the base of the sauce. 

6. If cooking with fire, remove pan off flame for a sec and add a splash of wine. Add 2 ladles of stock and reduce down.

7. Have spaghetti or whatever pasta cooking in salted water at same time.

8. When pasta is almost ready add lobster meat, tiny tiny bit of butter, then pasta and a little spoon of the pasta water.

9. Toss in the sauce, add squeeze of lemon, fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh lobster meat only really lasts 2 days max , and a whole lobster gives quite a bit of meat and stock so you can freeze and have ready for next time.

Clam pasta with fresh tomato

Original here!

Ingredients:

fresh clams
olive oil
white wine
fresh tomatoes, chopped
garlic
basil
linguine


Instructions:

Heat oil, and add clams from smallest to largest. Add a splash of wine, and watch the clams open. Lower the heat so as to not evaporate all the liquid. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes, and cook until tomatoes soften just a little bit.

Meanwhile, cook linguine until almost but not quite done. Drain and toss into the sauce. Add some basil. When pasta is fully tender from absorbing the liquid in the pan, serve.

Clam linguine

- adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"

1 pound dry linguine or spaghetti
Kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup water
36 little neck clams, scrubbed
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper
Directions


Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still firm.

While the pasta cooks make the clam sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the wine and water and increase the heat to high. Add the clams, cover, and cook, shaking the pan periodically, until all the clams are opened, about 6 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add to the clam sauce. Add the parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among heated bowls and serve immediately.

Cape Cod Clam Soup

- post-Thanksgiving dinner 2012 at the Kugel/Gips House, courtesy of friends of friends of the Modern Home Trust!

Ingredients:

fresh clams
kale
small beans
clam broth
water
orecchiette pasta


Instructions:

Thinly slice / chop the kale. Cook the pasta and set aside. Bring broth to boil and add all other ingredients. Simmer for about an hour. Add pasta and serve.

Cape Cod pasta sauce

- from post-Thanksgiving dinner in Wellfleet, MA, courtesy of friends of friends in the Modern House Trust!

Ingredients:

chopped parsley (a lot)
olive oil (also a lot)
anchovies
capers
hot pepper flakes
garlic, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Mix everything and put into pan. Heat and cook for about 15 minutes. Toss with pasta.

Pasta with Anchovies and Arugula

Ingredients:

olive oil
anchovies
chili flakes
garlic, thinly sliced
loads of arugula

spaghetti

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan until just starting to become less viscous. Add garlic and stir until golden brown.
3. Add anchovies and chili flakes. Cook at mildest heat for about 5 minutes, until garlic slices are floppy and done.
4. Drain pasta and add to pan, tossing to coat.
5. Add pasta to a bowl full of arugula and toss to integrate.

DONE!

Fettuccine with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Pears

This recipe puts a spin on a traditional Italian dish with chicken sausage and crunchy sticks of fresh pear. Buon appetito!
Ingredients

* 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
* 1 pound spicy chicken sausage links, cut into ½-inch thick slices
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 ½ cups white wine
* 1 ½ cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced
* 1 Red Anjou USA Pear, cored and cut into matchstick slices
* ½ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

Prepare fettuccine according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté sausage in olive oil until thoroughly cooked and browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add peppers to pan and sauté until slightly tender. Add pears to pan and sauté until heated through but still crisp. Remove peppers and pears and set aside.

Add wine to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to boil until reduced by half. Add sausage, peppers, and pears to the wine sauce and toss to coat.

In a large serving bowl, toss the freshly prepared pasta with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

preparation time: 30 minutes
yield: Serves 6

Arugula Pesto

Substitute with any herb / nut for another pesto altogether.

EXAMPLES

Tunisian: cilantro, parsley and spices, called "chermoula," traditionally served with fish
Republic of Georgia: ground walnuts, dried apricots (in the form of apricot leather), garlic, cilantro, parsley and other herbs, and walnut oil. It’s served with chicken, meats, fish and vegetables, and stirred into cooked red beans.

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic cloves, cut in half, green shoots removed

2 heaped tablespoons shelled walnuts

4 ounces arugula, stemmed, washed and dried (2 cups leaves, tightly packed)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, to taste

1. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. When they are chopped and adhering to the sides, stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the walnuts. Turn on the machine, and process until they are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl again, and add the arugula and the salt. Pulse until the arugula is finely chopped, then turn on the machine and run while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When the mixture is smooth, stop the machine, scrape down the sides and process for another 30 seconds or so. Scrape out into the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Grind the mixture with the pestle for a smoother texture. Work in the cheese and combine well.

Yield: Makes about 2/3 cup.

Celery Root Risotto with Pesto

* 2 medium celery roots (celeriac) with leafy tops
* 1/4 cup olive oil


* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 1/2 cups chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
* 3/4 cup arborio or medium-grain white rice
* 3 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Place 1 1/2 cups (packed) celery root leaves and oil in mini-processor. Blend until leaves are minced. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel celery roots. Cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut slices into enough 1/3-inch cubes to measure 2 cups. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in celery root cubes and leek. Cover; cook until celery root is tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Mix in rice; stir 1 minute. Add broth; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Mix in 3/4 cup cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide risotto between bowls; swirl some pesto on top. Serve with remaining cheese and pesto.

Lemon Risotto With Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

Salt to taste

2 quarts well seasoned chicken or vegetable stock, as needed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, minced

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc

2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to the boil, salt generously and add the Brussels sprouts. Boil two minutes, then transfer to the ice water. Drain, dry on paper towels and cut in quarters.

2. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet. Sear the Brussels sprouts just until beginning to brown, about three minutes, stirring and shaking the pan. Remove from the heat, and transfer to a plate or bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in the same skillet, or in a large, wide saucepan. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown. Add the rice and the garlic, and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion, stirring in more stock when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir often. After 10 minutes, stir in the Brussels sprouts. Continue adding stock and stirring. When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, in about 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Butternut Squash Farfalle with Sage Butter Sauce

OK, so this is not exactly "Asian," but didn't someone say that Marco
Polo brought pasta to the Italians from China? Anyway, this is
delicious; I'm storing it here in case I ever forget how to make it. Courtesy of Lily Woodruff.

Ingredients:
1 cup butternut squash, in very small cubes
1 cup mushrooms, finely sliced
1/2 zucchini, finely sliced then chopped into smaller pieces
1 handful of walnuts, coarsely chopped
garlic
1/4-1/2 stick butter
fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt
large handfuls of grated Parmesan or Emmenthal
nutmeg
2 servings of farfalle

Directions:

1. Cook the farfalle in salted boiling water.
2. Meanwhile, cook the butternut squash, mushrooms and zucchini in a
frying pan with some olive oil and pinches of sea salt. Add walnuts towards the end.
3. Divide the pasta and put onto serving plates. Put the cooked
squash/mushroom/zucchini on top of the pasta.
4. In the pan, melt the butter and add the sage. Stir, pressing the
leaves against the pan. When sufficiently aromatic (approx. 3-4
minutes), pour onto the pasta.
5. Top with large handfuls of grated Parmesan or Emmenthal cheese.
6. Finally, sprinkle some nutmeg on top.