As I think about the approaching CSA season, I've been contemplating new recipes and thought I'd share a few as we wait. If you watch any television chefs, you'll often hear "simple" and "clean flavors" used to describe good food...yet many people think of cooking as complicated and time consuming. This month's Cooking Light had a great article called "The Delicious Art of Keeping it Simple" by Kathy Kitchens Downie. Here's an excerpt:
"Then there's Restaurant Imitation Syndrome. It's tough, after you master a bunch of cooking techniques--for properly sautéing those mushrooms, caramelizing onion, breading chicken breasts, browning nuts, and making Hollandaise sauce--to avoid contemplating Panko-Crusted Chicken over Shiitakes and Caramelized Walla Walla Onions with a Toasted-Pecan Hollandaise. I just made that up, and who knows? It might be good. But in my book the home kitchen is usually not the place to mimic the wizardry of restaurant chefs who employ battalions of staff and marshall every tool you can imagine. Just sauté those mushrooms, add a a bit of butter, and savor the simple life."
Amen, sista! Most people don't have the time or desire to make fancy meals during the week with kids running around, laundry to do, and a few minutes of peace at the end of the day beckoning. (Plus who wants to do all those dishes?) Bottom line: It doesn't have to be complicated to be good. The question is, then, can simple really be that good? Can someone with few kitchen skills really make good food at home? Of course! Cooking Light helpfully published a few recipes along with this article and I decided to try one of them last week. It is definitely a "keeper" for our family - 5 out of 5 agree! And I guarantee anyone can make it.
A few of my own notes about the recipe: I fried the basil in the olive oil and butter as to really infuse the sauce with the flavor of basil. I didn't really measure the butter out carefully so it is possible (shh!) that I used a wee bit more than the recipe called for, and lastly, if you can't find fresh peas, frozen will work - Whole Foods has great organic frozen peas at a really good price. If you can buy fresh pasta, please do! Fresh pasta is to dried pasta what Mom's homemade brownies (yes, yours, Mom!) are to store bought ones in my book...you get the point. I used a combo of whole wheat and spinach linguine. Enjoy!
Spring Linguine with Basil
Pasta should be easy and delicious, like this entrée. Prep the peas, cheese, and basil while the pasta water heats. Serve with a green salad.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Ingredients
- 9 ounces uncooked fresh linguine
- 1 cup shelled fresh green peas
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 2 ounces shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add peas to pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup pasta liquid.
2. Heat oil and butter in pan over medium heat 1 minute or until butter melts. Remove from heat; stir in pasta mixture, reserved pasta water, juice, salt, and pepper; toss well.
3. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon basil and about 2 tablespoons cheese. Serve immediately.
Wine note: Spring Linguine with Basil is filled with the fresh, green flavors of spring peas and basil. While sauvignon blanc will work well, wines from Austria's grüner veltliner grape make a fun and adventurous choice. Look for Fred Loimer "Lois" 2008 ($15), with its bright green apple and herbal flavors, and a peppery quality that works well with this dish. —Jeffery Lindenmuth
Nutritional Information
- Calories:
- 324
- Fat:
- 12g (sat 4.4g,mono 5.1g,poly 1.6g)
- Protein:
- 13.2g
- Carbohydrate:
- 41.4g
- Fiber:
- 4.5g
- Cholesterol:
- 63mg
- Iron:
- 2.9mg
- Sodium:
- 467mg
- Calcium:
- 135mg
David Bonom, Cooking Light, MAY 2010
