Le Cirques Fettuccine With Green Beans And Basil Food

LE CIRQUE'S FETTUCCINE WITH GREEN BEANS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a good sized pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans and cook, perhaps as much as five minutes, but you must check--the beans should be tender but still crisp.
• Drain and set aside.
• Place basil, garlic, parmigiano and olive oil in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth -- you should have about 3/4 of a cup of the mixture.
• Meanwhile, cook the fettucine in boiling salted water until al dente, drain the pasta, and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
• Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet and gently saute the green beans to warm them, seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Toss the pasta in with the beans.
• Add the basil puree, the pasta water and the remaining butter and stir well.
• Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve.

LE CIRQUE'S SPAGHETTI PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Trim broccoli and break into small florets (reserve stems for another use).
• Trim the ends of the zucchini but do not peel.
• Cut each zucchini into quarters lengthwise and then cut each quarter into 1" pieces--you should have 1 and 1/2 cups of zucchini, not more.
• Cut each asparagus spear into thirds.
• Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover, just long so that each vegetable remains crisp but tender (Broccoli, zucchini, asparagus and green beans about 5 minutes, peas and pea pods about one minute if fresh, 30 seconds if frozen).
• Drain well then rinse in cold water, drain again, and combine the vegetables in a mixing bowl.
• Heat the canola oil in a skillet and add the mushrooms, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook about two minutes.
• Add mushrooms to the bowl of mixed vegetables.
• Add the chopped chiles and the parsley to the mixed vegetables.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, all the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up the tomatoes.
• Add the basil, stir and remove from heat, keeping it covered.
• Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente; drain and return to the pot.
• Heat the other 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and all the vegetable mixture.
• Cook stirring gently, just to heat through.
• In a pan large enough to hold the pasta and the vegetables, melt the butter.
• Once melted, add the chicken broth, the cream, and the parmesan, cooking gently on and off heat till smooth.
• Add the spaghetti and toss quickly to blend.
• Add half the vegetable mixture and the reserved liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.
• Add the remaining vegetables, and, if the suace seems too dry, about 1/4 cup more cream--but the sauce should not be soupy.
• Add the pine nuts and give the mixture a final toss.
• Place equal amounts of the pasta mixture in 4 or 8 shallow soup bowls, depending on whether this is to be an appetizer or a main dish.
• Spoon equal amounts of the tomato mixture over each portion.
• Serve immediately.

FETTUCCINE WITH BEANS & PANCETTA

Steps:

• Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, separate the rashers of pancetta and cook them in two batches (without oil) in a large non-stick frying pan until the fat on the pancetta is golden. Lift out onto a plate to crisp up.
• When the water is boiling, add salt and the pasta to the pan and boil for 6 mins. Tip in the beans, quickly return to the boil and cook for about 4 mins more until both the pasta and beans are just tender.
• Drain and tip into a large serving bowl. Toss with the crème fraîche, chives or basil and plenty of seasoning, then quickly tear in the crisp pancetta (keeping it quite chunky). Serve with the Parmesan, if you like, a simple tomato salad and some crusty bread.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Trim broccoli and break into florets. Trim off ends of the zucchini. Cut into quarters, then cut into 1-inch or slightly longer lengths (about 1 1/2 cups). Cut each asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Trim beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover until crisp but tender. Drain well, then run under cold water to chill, and drain again thoroughly. Combine the cooked vegetables in a bowl.
• Cook the peas and pods; about 1 minute if fresh; 30 seconds if frozen. Drain, chill with cold water and drain again. Combine with the vegetables.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil and add the mushrooms. Season to taste. Cook about 2 minutes, shaking the skillet and stirring. Add the mushrooms, chili and parsley to the vegetables.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook about 4 minutes. Add the basil.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until heated through.
• Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until almost (but not quite) tender, retaining a slight resilience in the center. Drain well.
• In a pot large enough to hold the spaghetti and vegetables, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Then add the chicken broth and half a cup each of cream and cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently until smooth. Add the spaghetti and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.
• Add the remaining vegetables. If the sauce seems dry, add 3 to 4 tablespoons more cream. Add the pine nuts and give the mixture a final tossing.
• Serve equal portions of the spaghetti mixture in hot soup or spaghetti bowls. Spoon equal amounts of the tomatoes over each serving. Serve immediately.

FETTUCINE WITH PESTO, GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Blend basil, 1/4 cup oil, pine nuts, walnuts and garlic cloves in processor until finely chopped. Add grated Parmesan cheese. With machine running, gradually blend in remaining &§ cup oil. Set pesto aside.
• Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using 4- to 5-inch-diameter strainer, transfer beans to large bowl. Return cooking water to boil. Add white potatoes and boil until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove potatoes with same strainer and transfer to bowl with beans. Return cooking water to boil. Add fettuccine to same pot. Boil until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return green beans, white potatoes and cooked pasta to pot. Add pesto and toss to coat. Gradually add enough reserved cooking water to coat pasta with moist sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

FETTUCCINE WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute green pepper and onion in oil until tender. Stir in the pasta sauce, black beans and seasonings. , Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain fettuccine. Top with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. If desired, top with chopped fresh basil.

WHITE BEAN PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir, then cook undisturbed in an even layer until one side is golden, about 4 minutes. (It's great if the butter browns, but decrease the heat if it threatens to get too dark.) Stir in the asparagus, carrot and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas, scallions and ½ teaspoon salt, then add the red-pepper flakes, oregano and a generous amount of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the peas are warmed through and bright green, about 2 minutes.
• Add the white beans and the cream, lower the heat to medium, and let the cream come to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, Parmesan and Dijon. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of warm water to the creamy beans to loosen as you like; the sauce will thicken as it cools. (You may need more water when you reheat any leftovers.) Serve in bowls topped with the nuts and a handful of basil leaves. Pass more Parmesan at the table.