Orecchiette With Fresh And Dried Beans And Tomatoes Food

CONFIT OF WHITE BEANS WITH ROASTED TOMATO AND ORECCHIETTE FAGIOLI ALL'UCCELLETTO

Steps:

• For the beans: Place the beans in a saucepan and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 1 hour, then drain.
• Return the beans to the saucepan along with the onion, celery, carrot and bay leaf. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. (If you heat them too fast, the skins may break.) Adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 20 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the beans. Add salt, to taste, and continue cooking until the beans are tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and let cool in the liquid. (You can prepare the beans to this point 1 to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Drain the beans and discard the vegetables but reserve the liquid.
• In a preheated casserole pan that can go from the stove top to the oven, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, add garlic cloves and allow to caramelize, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, simmer about 10 seconds, then add beans and white bean liquid. Sprinkle top with cherry tomatoes, thyme, parsley, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, taste for seasoning, and serve over orecchiette pasta.

ORECCHIETTE WITH FRESH AND DRIED BEANS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• To cook dried beans, transfer with their soaking water to a heavy pot. Add more water as necessary to cover the beans with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water. Over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle boil and skim away foam. Add onion and garlic, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (I use at least a rounded teaspoon), cover and continue to simmer very gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender all the way through and their texture is plush and velvety. Taste the bean broth and add more salt as necessary. Remove from heat. Let beans cool in the broth if not using right away.
• Place a strainer over a bowl and drain beans. Measure out 1 cup of the broth and combine with the tomato sauce or tomatoes in a wide pan or a pasta bowl.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add orecchiette. Boil 5 minutes and add green beans. Boil another 5 minutes, until pasta is cooked al dente. Drain and toss green beans and pasta with the cooked beans and tomato sauce or tomatoes. Add half the basil and toss again.
• Serve in wide bowls, garnishing each serving with fresh basil and Parmesan.

ORECCHIETTE WITH ROASTED AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss together tomatoes, oil and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt in bowl; spread onto prepared baking sheet. Roast in centre of oven for 25 minutes or until shriveled.
• Meanwhile, combine pesto, cheese, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and the pepper in large bowl.
• Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta; stir occasionally until water returns to a boil. Cook for 9 to 11 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain, reserving 1 cup (250 mL) of the pasta cooking water. Toss pasta with pesto mixture. Add half of reserved pasta cooking water and toss again. Add more water if necessary to loosen sauce, adding 1/4 cup (50 mL) at a time. Stir in basil.
• Divide pasta among six bowls; spoon tomatoes over top. Serve with additional grated or shaved cheese, if desired.

TOMATOES WITH ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until it begins to turn gold, about 1 minute.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes and thyme. Cook, stirring gently, until the skin begins to loosen from the tomatoes, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook 1 minute more. Add the chicken stock and simmer about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the thyme and ladle the tomatoes into serving bowls. Garnish with the basil leaves and pasta.

ORECCHIETTE WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Stir in onion, carrot, and garlic; saute 3 minutes.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and next 4 ingredients (everything except spinach and bread crumbs); simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in spinach, and cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted.
• Stir in pasta; cook until thoroughly heated.
• Sprinkle pasta with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese and breadcrumbs before serving.

ORECCHIETTE WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Soak chickpeas in water to cover by 2 inches overnight (8 hours) or quick-soak (see cooks' note, below), then drain.
• Simmer chickpeas with whole garlic cloves and bay leaf in water to cover by 2 inches in a 4- to 5-quart pot, partially covered with lid, adding more water if necessary, until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Drain chickpeas and discard garlic and bay leaf.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion, celery, carrots, chopped garlic, red-pepper flakes (to taste), and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 12 minutes. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and sea salt to taste.
• Make orecchiette:
• Stir together water and sea salt in a bowl until salt has dissolved. Add semolina in a stream, beating with an electric mixer at medium speed until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with lightly floured hands (use all-purpose flour) until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Divide dough into 5 pieces and let stand under an overturned bowl 30 minutes.
• Line each of 2 trays (or a work surface) with a dry kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust with some semolina. Keeping remaining dough covered, roll 1 piece of dough into a 14-inch-long rope (about 3/4 inch thick) on an unfloured surface. Cut rope into 1/4-inch pieces. Dust your thumb with some flour and press down on each piece of dough, pushing away from you and twisting your thumb slightly to form an indented curled shape (like an ear). Transfer as formed to lined trays. Make more orecchiette with remaining dough. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes.
• Cook orecchiette:
• Cook orecchiette in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente, then drain and toss with sauce.