Fettuccine With Merguez And Mint Pesto Food

FETTUCCINE WITH MERGUEZ AND MINT PESTO

Steps:

• Make the pesto: Turn on food processor, and drop garlic through feed tube to mince. Add pine nuts through the tube and grind. Add mint leaves and process until mixture is combined. Scrape down bowl, and with machine running, slowly drizzle in the 1/3 cup olive oil. Process until blended. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt. Set aside.
• Make the pasta: Heat 3 quarts water in a large pot. As water comes to boil, heat oil in a large sauté pan, and sauté onion on medium-low until soft. Stir in cumin. Add merguez, increase heat to medium and cook, using two forks to break up the sausage and stirring all the while, until the meat is nubbly and no longer looks raw. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, olives and 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Reduce heat to low.
• Add fettuccine to boiling water and cook about 5 minutes, until nearly al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water, and set pasta aside. Add pasta water to the merguez mixture and let cook until liquid in the pan just coats the ingredients. Stir in lemon juice. Add fettuccine to sauté pan, tossing with other ingredients over low heat. Add salt to taste. Transfer to individual bowls or a serving dish and serve with remaining pesto alongside.

MINT PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions for al dente pasta.
• Meanwhile, put the mint leaves, pistachios and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. While still pulsing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Remove the lid and use your hands to break up the wedge of pecorino into small chunks and add them to the food processor along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined but there are still small pieces of pecorino throughout the mixture. (You do not want to blend too much because it will cause the mint to brown.) Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer the pesto to a large high-sided skillet. When the pasta is cooked to al dente, use a large slotted spoon to lift the pasta out of the pot and directly into the skillet. Stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess water from the pasta has evaporated and some of the pecorino has started to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and butter if using. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer to a large platter and garnish with the grated pecorino and whole mint leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FETTUCCINE WITH MINT-SPINACH PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until just golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Combine the almonds, spinach, mint and garlic in a food processor and process to make a slightly chunky paste. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream to make a smooth pesto.
• Add the pesto to the pasta along with the pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Serve with more pecorino for topping.

FETTUCCINE WITH CREAMY PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente, adding the spinach during the last 30 seconds of cooking. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and spinach.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the heavy cream, nutmeg, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the pasta and spinach and toss until coated, about 1 minute. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir in enough of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce.
• Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the pesto. Divide among bowls; top with pepper and more parmesan.

RIGATONI WITH MERGUEZ, RICOTTA SALATA, AND BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold running water.
• 2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until the milk solids in the saucepan turn hazelnut brown, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour the melted butter into a small bowl.
• 3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, occasionally stirring and breaking it up with the side of the spoon into bite-sized pieces, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it softens, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and parsley and mix well. Pour into a colander to drain the excess fat. Clean the skillet.
• 4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage mixture and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 5. Transfer the pasta mixture to a serving bowl. Add the browned butter and mix well. Top with the ricotta salata, Sicilian Bread Crumbs, and mint. Drizzle with additional olive oil, toss, and serve immediately.
• 1. To make the bread crumbs: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With the machine running, drop the garlic through the tube of a food processor to mince the garlic. Add the bread cubes, oil, and parsley and pulse until the bread becomes coarse crumbs. Spread on an 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly toasted and smell garlicky, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool. Makes 2 cups. Measure out 1 cup of the bread crumbs. (Reserve the remaining bread crumbs for another use; they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)

PASTA WITH MINT AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. When it boils, cook pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
• Toss pasta in a warmed bowl with 2 or 3 tablespoons cooking liquid, the butter, mint and half the cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve, passing remaining Parmesan at the table.

FETTUCCINE WITH PISTACHIO-MINT PESTO AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Combine mint leaves, parsley leaves, 1/4 cup pistachios, olive oil, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and garlic in a mini food processor; pulse mixture until coarsely chopped.
• Cook fettuccine according to package instructions, omitting salt and fat. Drain fettuccine over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Combine pesto mixture and reserved cooking liquid in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta to bowl; toss well to coat. Gently fold in cherry tomatoes. Coarsely chop remaining 4 teaspoons pistachios. Top pasta evenly with romano cheese and chopped pistachios.

SPRING PASTA BOLOGNESE WITH LAMB AND PEAS

Steps:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add lamb, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth, heavy cream and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, partly covered and stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, about 30 minutes. (The sauce may look broken at first, but it will emulsify as it cooks.) Discard the rosemary sprig.
• As the sauce cooks, make the pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.
• Over medium heat, add the peas and spinach to the sauce and stir until spinach is wilted. Add the cooked pasta, butter and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the sauce. Toss vigorously until sauce is thickened and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if a looser sauce is desired. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Garnish with more cheese, parsley and black pepper.

FETTUCCINE WITH PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• place basil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese in a food processor and process about 15 seconds.
• With processor still on pour oil in through the tube in a steady stream till all the oil is used.
• Turn off processor.
• Cook fettuccine in salted boiling water to your taste.
• Drain pasta well.
• Add a some sauce to the pasta and mix pasta with the sauce.
• Serve pasta and add sauce to your liking.