Chef Johns Blt Pasta Food

CHEF JOHN'S BLT PASTA

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a heavy skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat. Hold a paper towel with tongs and mop up excess bacon grease with the paper towel, leave about 2 teaspoons bacon grease in the skillet.
• Stir minced garlic and lemon zest into bacon in the skillet and let cook in residual heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir creme fraiche into bacon mixture.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and stir in 2 cups of ditalini. Cook till tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add pasta to the skillet. Stir pasta thoroughly into bacon and creme fraiche mixture.
• Return skillet to medium heat. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Mix in arugula, stirring until wilted, about 30 seconds, and turn off heat.
• Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir again and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

BLT PASTA SKILLET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
• Meanwhile, lay the bacon in a large ovenproof skillet and cook over medium heat until brown and slightly crispy, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Break up the bacon into bite-size pieces.
• Return the skillet to medium heat, add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and juices, reserved pasta water, crushed red pepper, basil, escarole and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the escarole wilts, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Mix together the ricotta and Parmesan. Add the cooked pasta and mozzarella to the sauce and stir to thoroughly coat. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta-Parmesan mixture on top. Sprinkle with the bacon pieces and bake until bubbly and the cheese melts, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with additional basil if using.

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5 minutes.
• Make a well in the center of butter and flour mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir until just combined.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface, pat together into a rectangle.
• Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and pressing dough a total of three times.
• Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
• Transfer biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb.
• Brush the tops of biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.