Breakfast Scramble With Orzo Pancetta And Asparagus Food

ITALIAN EGG AND PASTA SCRAMBLE

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the orzo.
• Whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and basil. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the orzo and stir to coat. Add the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until the eggs are softly set, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the egg mixture to a serving bowl and serve.

PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS, SPRING ONIONS, PANCETTA, AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat a large, wide-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are soft, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat if needed to keep them from browning. Let cool.
• Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Slice the trimmed spears on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to chill quickly. Pat dry.
• Season the ricotta with salt and white pepper.
• At least 45 minutes before baking, put a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to its highest setting (500°F to 550°F).
• With lightly floured fingers, flatten a ball of pizza dough into a round on a lightly floured work surface. Pick up the round with both hands and, grasping the round by an edge, rotate the dough clockwise between your fingertips, always holding it by the edge. As you rotate the dough, stretch it into an 8-inch circle; the dough will also stretch and lengthen from its own weight. Alternatively, drape the flattened round over your lightly floured knuckles and rotate the dough, moving your knuckles slightly farther apart, until the round stretches into an 8-inch circle.
• Place on a pizza peel lightly dusted with cornmeal or durum flour. Work quickly now to prevent sticking.
• Using one-quarter of the onion mixture, spread it evenly over the surface of the dough. Scatter asparagus over the onions, using one-quarter of the total. Dollop one-quarter (4 ounces) of the ricotta on the pizza in 7 to 8 mounds. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Arrange 5 pancetta slices, still coiled in rounds, on top, spacing them evenly.
• Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake until the crust is brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cut into slices and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining three balls of dough and the remaining topping.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc or another lean and refreshing white wine.

FARFALLE WITH CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS & PANCETTA

Steps:

• Trim the asparagus and cut into short lengths on the diagonal - keep the tips separate. (If you like, peel the stems to give a more vibrant colour when cooked.) Cook the stems in salted boiling water for about 4 minutes, then add the tips and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
• Peel the lemons with a serrated knife, remove all the white pith, then cut into segments by slicing each side of the pieces of membrane. Now cut the segments into small pieces (flick out any pips) and put them in a bowl with any juice. Grill the pancetta for 3-4 minutes until crisp - keep an eye on it because it can burn easily.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of well-salted boiling water until al dente.While it's cooking, put the butter and half the cream in a large pan and let them bubble together over a low heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened slightly. Tip in the lemon segments and juice, the chicken, asparagus and a few pinches of salt. Turn off the heat.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the contents of the pan along with the rest of the cream. Toss well, adding black pepper and nutmeg to taste, and the grated parmesan. Toss again, top with the pancetta and serve immediately.

BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE WITH ORZO, PANCETTA, AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the orzo.
• Whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and basil. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and sauté until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the orzo and stir to coat. Add the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until the eggs are softly set, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the egg mixture to a serving bowl and serve.

ORZO AND SHRIMP SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Peel shrimp, reserving the shells. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic and shrimp in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from browning. When shrimp are cooked through, remove from heat, cool and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Bring water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add shrimp shells, boil for 5 minutes, then strain out shells and discard. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the asparagus pieces and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain into a mesh sieve, and rinse in cold water.
• Toss pasta and asparagus with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, shrimp, and green onions until evenly coated. In a separate bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and basil until incorporated. Pour over pasta mixture and toss well; season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for 2 hours.

ORZO WITH PEPPERS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Slice chicken into bite size portions, sprinkle with lemon pepper, refrigerate. (This can be done several hours in advance as a dry maranade.).
• Use 1 TBS of olive oil and sautee chicken, set aside.
• In large pan, cook garlic, peppers and asparagus in remaining olive oil for 2 minutes or until tender crips.
• Add chicken and basil, stir well for a few minutes.
• Add cooked orzo and bring back up to temperature.

PENNE WITH PANCETTA AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Cook pancetta in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel lined plate, leaving fat in skillet.
• Heat fat over high heat until just smoking. Add asparagus and salt and cook, without stirring, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until asparagus is browned and tender, about 2 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in garlic.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot over low heat.
• Add mascarpone, Pecorino, lemon juice, pepper, pancetta, asparagus and 1 cup reserved cooking water to pot and toss and stir vigorously to thoroughly combine, about 1 minute. Let pasta rest off heat for 3 minutes. Stir in basil. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Pecorino separately.