Pasta With Crispy Prosciutto And Arugula Pesto Food

FUSILLI WITH ARUGULA PESTO AND CRISPY PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath. Stir the arugula into the boiling water and cook until it is bright green and tender, about 15 seconds. Remove the arugula directly to the ice bath and let cool completely, then drain, gently squeeze out the excess water and set aside. Do the same for the basil. Once the arugula and basil are blanched, cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente.
• Meanwhile, make the pesto. Add the arugula and basil to a food processor and blend until mostly pureed, about 30 seconds. Add oil, pine nuts, garlic and salt and pepper and puree for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the cheese and pulse, drizzling more oil as desired, until combined but not fully pureed, another 30 seconds. (See Cook's Note.)
• Place the pesto and butter in a large bowl and add drained pasta to the bowl, reserving some pasta water to thin the sauce as desired. Mix the pesto and pasta, season to taste and crumble the slices of crispy pancetta on top. Serve with extra grated Pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.

PASTA WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO AND ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the first three pesto ingredients (arugula, garlic and walnuts) in a blender or food processor and pulse to a coarse consistency.
• Drizzle in the olive oil and continue to pulse/blend until the pesto is the consistency you prefer. I like it somewhere in between smooth and coarse. You can adjust the ingredients further to your tastes if you like.
• Finally, either stir or process in the 2 tablespoons of parmesan.
• Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat and when hot, add the prosciutto, trying to keep it generally in a single layer as much as possible. Fry for about a minute, turn and fry an additional minute or until crispy. You can kind of visually tell when it's there by the browning and how it's somewhat stiff when turning. Drain on paper towels.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente and drain well. Fold in as much of the pesto as you like, then the prosciutto and the sun-dried tomatoes, if using.
• Finally, garnish with parmesan cheese and EAT, baby, EEEEEAT!

PESTO ONION PROSCIUTTO PASTA

Steps:

• Start the water boiling for the pasta.
• Put the olive oil in a big deep skillet and turn it on high. If you haven't chopped the veggies yet, chop them and dump them in the skillet as you go.
• Start sauteing the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and mushrooms over medium high heat. You want them to develop some golden color, not just get mushy cooked. I do this while I wait for the water to boil.
• When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Then add the proscuitto or bacon to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir, and then turn the heat down to medium low.
• If you are not using wine, you will need to reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the pasta right before the pasta is cooked.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain. Return it to the cooking pot and cover. This will keep the pasta warm.
• It's time to deglaze the pan with the vegetables. Use either the wine or the reserved pasta water. Stir and scrape to get all the good stuff off the bottom of the pot. You may need to turn the heat back up, you want the liquid to come to a boil and reduce slightly.
• Combine the cooked vegetables and the pasta in the larger of your two cooking pots (or a big serving bowl). Add the cannellini beans, parmesean cheese and pesto. Stir. Taste. If you think you need to add salt, add it.
• Move to a big serving bowl or individual plates. Garnish with basil, tomato, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. (This works great with a thick balsamic, it doesn't work well with the cheaper thin stuff).
• Leftovers are fantastic heated or cold like a pasta salad.
• OAMC adaptation: Cook the vegetable part as directed. Add the cannellini beans, pesto, and parmesean cheese. Then freeze. When you thaw you will need to cook/drain the pasta and then add in the HEATED vegetable pesto combo. I will make up a double batch of the veggies and freeze at least half.

PASTA WITH ARUGULA AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Cook pasta in an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
• Return pasta to pot and toss with prosciutto, arugula, Parmigiano- Reggiano, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle oil over pasta and toss to combine, adding some of reserved cooking water if pasta seems dry.