Pantry Pasta With Romesco Sauce Food

PANTRY PASTA

Steps:

• Add the onions into a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Saute for a few minutes, and then add in the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, artichoke hearts and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce. Mix in the pesto. Toss in the feta and top with the pine nuts.

SALSA ROMESCO/ ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• *Cook's Note: You can also use dried Nora peppers, if Romesco peppers are not available. These are both typical peppers imported from Spain.
• Preheat the grill to high heat.
• In a cast iron or grill-safe skillet, toast the nuts until lightly colored and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes, being careful not to burn them or they get very bitter. Remove the nuts and reserve. On the grill, lightly char the tomatoes on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes each side, rotating until all the sides are lightly charred. At the same time on the grill, roast the garlic cut-side down until the cut side gets nicely colored and the garlic begins to soften.
• Alternatively, if using a conventional oven, place the raw hazelnuts, tomatoes (do not core the tomatoes or their liquid will spill out while roasting) and garlic cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400 F oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the toasted hazelnuts and reserve. Return the tomatoes and garlic back to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes more. The tomatoes should be deeply roasted and the garlic should be nicely colored on the cut side and begin to soften.
• When they are ready, remove the tomatoes and the garlic from the grill or oven. When cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add the hazelnuts and the grilled or toasted bread. Lightly pulse 2 to 3 times until the bread and nuts start to break down, but are not all ground. Add the tomatoes, reconstituted Romesco or Nora peppers and roasted garlic (squeeze the cloves out of their skin) and lightly process while gradually streaming in the oil, a little at a time, as if making a mayonnaise. Romesco should have both a fine chunky integrity to the sauce and a smooth silky texture. Finally, add the vinegar and season with salt and black pepper or crushed red pepper, if using. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick. The final sauce should be thick and concentrated but still loose.

PANTRY PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta in boiling water with bouillon cubes for flavor. Add salt to water if omitting bouillon. Cook until "al dente".
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in saute pan, add onions and then garlic. Add cauliflower (or other vegetables in pantry), for 2 to 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add your tomatoes and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add half and half or milk, grated cheese and red pepper flakes to taste and simmer for 45 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Ladle over pasta or toss together and serve

PASTA WITH SPEEDY ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Begin to cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water .
• Meanwhile, working quickly, tear toast into pieces and blend with peppers, almonds, garlic, broth, oil, vinegar, salt, and red-pepper flakes in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a 12-inch heavy skillet and bring to a simmer.
• When pasta is barely al dente, add peas and continue to cook until peas are just tender, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and peas in a colander. Add pasta and peas to sauce along with cheese (1/4 cup) and toss to combine. Add some reserved pasta water to thin if necessary. Serve immediately.

ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add almonds and cook, stirring, until they are toasted. Remove them from the skillet. Place them in food processor, grind them fine and leave them in the food processor.
• Add the oil to the skillet and when it is hot, add the onion. Saute until it is golden, then stir in the garlic. Add the peppers, water and vinegar, lower the heat and cook gently about 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Stir in the tomato and season the mixture with salt and hot red pepper. Remove from heat.
• Add mixture to almonds in food processor and puree. Taste for seasoning; serve at room temperature.