more sunday rigatoni from gdl

My intention is not to turn my cyber hang-out here into nothing but Giada de Laurentiis recipes; but as I mentioned last week, I've been away from home for awhile, and I'm still making-up for lost kitchen time. And oh my ... today's Giada-inspired yumminess more than filled a long-neglected culinary gap or two.

I HAD to share.

It's called rigatoni with creamy mushroom sauce, and it is an absolute must make. Each bite was pasta ecstasy. Not unlike pasta ponza, it's utter simplicity, in terms of preparation. If you're a fan of mushrooms, prepare to be dazzled.

Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
From Giada at Home (p. 80)

4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 pound rigatoni pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, shitake, or button), cleaned and sliced

1/2 cut dry white wine

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms [I used cremini & shitake] and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to high.
Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes, or until all the liquid evaporates. Add the broth and simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Mascarpone cheese and stir until creamy.
Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl.
Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan.
Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the copped chives.

in appreciation of saturnus

aka, Saturday.

Apparently that's him on the left (so says Wikipedia, anyway); and how I love thee, Saturnus. Right now you're the hottest guy this side of Bradley Cooper.

I'm celebrating this particular Saturday, July 17, in honor of you, of course.

I brought a gift; but due to its highly limey and liquid nature, I was unable to wrap it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I [am]. It's a family delicacy--Uncle Greg's margaritas. I'm attaching the details, should you want to re-gift to your good buddy, Dies Solis/Sunday.

Greg’s (Old La Fonda) Margarita

Basic ratio of mixture: 1½:1:1

Individual Margarita:

1½ oz. of icy cold tequila, (use Silver for the “purist” drink)

1 oz. cold triple sec

1 oz. freshly-squeezed lime juice (cold), from FRESH limes

Shake or stir well, with ice, then remove the ice to avoid diluting the cocktail. Pour into cold margarita glasses. Serve (sip).

In Quantity (always more efficient):

To mix a quantity, use the same ratio above. For example: For 6 drinks, you would use 9 ounces of tequila, 6 ounces of triple sec, and 6 ounces of lime juice. For 12 drinks (you go, girl), the mix would be 18 ounces of tequila, and 12 ounces--each--of triple etc. and lime juice, etc.

Tips:

• If possible, store your tequila in the freezer to insure that icy cold condition. Refrigerate the triple sec and lime juice in preparation for use.
• Place the cocktail glasses in the freezer or at least the refrigerator to chill thoroughly prior to pouring.
• If utilizing ice when mixing the drink(s), be sure to remove any excess ice to avoid diluting the snappy flavors of the Margarita.
• Try to squeeze the freshest limes possible when collecting the lime juice. The juice can be squeezed a couple of hours ahead and refrigerated in a covered container until needed.

Embellish at will, depending on how daring you are.

Have a great time.

if you plant it, they will come

I blogged a few weeks ago about the multitude of caterpillar visitors I've been hosting in my backyard. Well guess what? I now have a multitude of butterflies! Crazy how that works, right?

Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries, and the occasional Monarch seem to be the popular kids in town; but I've also had several random (ok maybe random is too harsh; I just can't ID them) little guys who "flutter by" regularly. Several have even landed long enough for me to capture 'em via the trusty Kodak (see above and below, for a few).

Anyway, this morning I'm running late for work (a rarity for me) at a time when we happen to be facing multiple, big-time deadlines. Needless to say, it was especially crucial to my sanity that I arrive early ... but that's another post .... So, I'm flying around like a mad woman, fling open the back door, am putting my key in the lock, when I happen to catch a glimpse of something black, moving off to my right. I look over and immediately see this wonder, hanging from my rosemary:


She's pretty amazing, huh? She'd just emerged from her chrysalis and was sunning herself upside down, drying her crumpled wings before beginning her newest "chapter." The whole experience made me stop, take a deep breath, and just stare for awhile. Of course I went back inside and grabbed my camera. That pending proposal burning a whole on my laptop suddenly didn't seem as worthy of my immediate attention.


One of her caterpillar friends happens to be undergoing the same "change" right next to the rosemary; so I snapped a shot of that as well:


Yes, my parsley is a total and complete mess--it's completely caterpillar-chewed and covered with countless additional caterpillars. But as Martha would say, it's a good thing.

A few more shots from two days ago:

pasta ponza

I've been away from home--on and off--for the better part of the past two months. What have I missed most of all? Cooking (and good food). But after a day of unpacking, doing countless loads of laundry, and generally putting my life back in order, I didn't want to do much in the kitchen this evening ... yet I did want to do something. So I thumbed through Giada's latest book, looking for a tasty (and simple) solution. Behold, page 85: Pasta Ponza.

pasta ponza (Giada de Laurentiis)

4 to 6 SERVINGS

Ponza is an island off the west coast of Italy ... Like all the best pasta dishes, this one is simple; what makes it special is how the sauce comes together. The tomatoes and capers are roasted with a bread crumb topping, concentrating their flavors and making them very juicy with a crunchy crust. When they're mixed with the hot pasta and cheese, the textures and flavor explode in your mouth. This just might be my favorite recipe in the book!

Unsalted butter for greasing

2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon of salt, or more, to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more, to taste

1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned dried bread crumbs

1 pound ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta

1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Combine the tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture.

Drizzle the top with olive oil.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden.Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup on the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta.

Add the cheese and toss well.

If needed, thin out the sauce with a little pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes: I used Parmigiano Reggiano, rather than Romano cheese. It worked fine. Also, I added red pepper flakes--a much-needed kick. Finally, next time I make it, I'll finish the dish by sprinkling a little more Italian breadcrumbs on top then baking for a few minutes. It needed a tad of some kind of golden crispiness as a topper. Otherwise, super easy and tasty.

Oh ... almost forgot ... pairs well with gin & tonic. :)