Pasta Rags With A Thousand Herbs Food

PASTA RAGS AND WARMED SALMON

Steps:

• Seed and dice the tomato and set aside. Cut the salmon into slivers that are paper thin and almost transparent and set aside. Bring the water to a boil and add the salt. When the water returns to the boil add the pasta and cook for between 4 to 6 minutes or until fully cooked but still with a toothy bite. Drain the pasta but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Do not rinse the pasta. Toss the pasta in a bowl with the olive oil, add the tomato, salmon and dill and toss again. The heat of the hot pasta will cook the thin pieces of salmon to a delicate finish. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. If you a prefer a more liquid sauce, some of the hot pasta water may be added to moisten the dish or some whole butter may be added as well. Serve immediately.;

PASTA "RAGS" WITH A THOUSAND HERBS

Steps:

• If using fresh pasta, cut sheets into roughly 4- by 1-inch pieces with pastry wheel, then lightly dust with flour and arrange in 1 layer on paper-towel-lined large baking sheets. Let pasta dry until leathery but still pliable, 5 to 30 minutes. If using no-boil lasagne, break sheets into large pieces (about 4 by 1 inch).
• Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes in a 3-quart saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water and cool. Peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with a paring knife and discard. Halve tomatoes and discard seeds, then cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice.
• Stir together oil and herbs in a large bowl.
• Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes for fresh pasta (time for dried pasta may vary). Drain, then toss with herb mixture. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and cheese and toss again. Season with salt and serve immediately, with additional cheese.

CREAMY PASTA RAGS

Steps:

• Cook broken noodles according to package directions for al dente. Drain; rinse with water and drain again. Toss with oil to coat. , In a large skillet, cook sausage with onion over medium-high until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes, breaking up sausage into 3/4-in. pieces. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute., Stir in peas, pepper and cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Stir in noodles., Serve immediately. If desired, serve with additional cheese.

FRESH HERB PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Wash and dry your fresh herbs. Basil, chives, spinach, arugula, green onion, baby salad greens, or any combination of fresh herbs/greens will work well.
• Coarsely chop the herbs with kitchen shears or a knife. Place in a sturdy bowl and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Use a pestle, dowel or even the handle of a whisk to grind the salt and herbs together into a wet paste.
• Add the flour and eggs to the bowl and mix well. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a rough dough forms and there's no dry flour in the bowl. The dough will be fairly stiff, and firmer than bread dough.
• Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Wrap well in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Note: you may also choose to do this in a stand mixer, or in your bread machine set on the dough cycle. If you use your bread machine, cancel the cycle after about 10 minutes of kneading, and remove the dough.
• Following the instructions on your pasta machine, roll the dough to the desired thickness. Allow the sheets to dry for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into strips. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Cook the fresh pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, testing for doneness after 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and serve as desired. A simple dressing of melted butter and fresh Parmesan cheese is outstanding, and lets the flavors of the herbs shine through.

PASTA WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt. Add capellini, and cook until al dente, following manufacturer's directions.
• In a medium skillet, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the chopped parsley, chives, thyme, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Using a pasta fork, transfer pasta to the bowl with the herbs. Add the garlic-and-oil mixture, and toss to combine. Serve garnished with cheese and curly parsley leaves.

PARMESAN CHICKEN WITH PASTA RAGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475°F. In shallow microwavable bowl, stir together 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, 3 tablespoons oil and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute or until butter is melted; stir.
• In another shallow bowl, stir together bread crumbs and grated cheese. Coat chicken pieces with garlic mixture; coat with crumb mixture. Place in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut. Meanwhile, cook broken lasagna noodles as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
• In 10-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 clove garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until tender. Stir in spinach and 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until spinach is cooked. Add cooked noodles, tomatoes and chopped basil; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Serve pasta mixture with chicken. Garnish with basil sprigs and shaved Parmesan cheese.

FETTUCCINE WITH A THOUSAND HERBS

Steps:

• 1 In a bowl large enough to contain all of the ingredients, combine the herbs, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 2 Bring at least 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, then the pasta Stir well. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. 3 Add the pasta to the bowl with the herb mixture and toss well. Add the cheese and toss again. Scatter the tomatoes over the pasta and serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.