Recipes for Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried white beans.
• 1 cup of olive oil.
• A whole clove of garlic, unshelled.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1 teaspoon or more crushed or ground hot red pepper.
• fresh parsley
• 1/2 pound of small diameter macaroni, whole wheat is best.
• salt to taste.

Instructions

1. Put washed beans in salted water, 3 parts to 1 part beans.
2. Soak overnight OR bring to boil, boil 2 minutes and let stand, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Do not drain beans, but bring to a boil.
4. Skim off foam and add oil, garlic and bay leaf.
5. Simmer for about 2 hours, or until tender.
6. Cook pasta for 6 or 7 minutes, but don’t let it get too soft.
7. Drain pasta & save some of the water.
8. Stir pasta & red pepper into beans and simmer until pasta is eatably soft, adding some of the saved water if necessary.
9. Garnish with red pepper to taste and parsley.

Tips

• Beans: Use whichever sort is the favorite in your neighborhood and likely to be freshest. In Southern California that would be pinto beans, in the deep South, blackeyed peas or perhaps butter beans. Garbanzos might be good. Navy beans are always safe.

• Olive Oil: Use the best grade you can get: Cold pressed, Extra Virgin.

• With a salad and some red wine this is a hearty meal, and can be eaten the next day, cold or reheated.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (227g) elbow macaroni
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp powdered mustard
• 3 c milk
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp Tabasco Pepper Sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 large egg
• 12 oz (340g) sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

Topping

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 c panko bread crumbs

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta until it is al dente.
3. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a separate pot.
4. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it is free of lumps.
5. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
6. Temper in the egg.
7. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish.
10. Top with remaining cheese.
11. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat.
12. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs.
13. Bake for 30 minutes.
14. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1 400g (15. oz) can of navy beans, drained and chopped
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• one package lasagna noodles
• 240ml (1 cup) cottage cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 240g (1 cup) tomato sauce
• 240g (1 cup) tomato puree
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 100g - 170g (4-6 oz.) package of mozzarella cheese, grated
• 60ml (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Cook lasagna noodles.
2. Start preheating oven for 180 C (350 F).
3. Saute garlic and onions.
4. Add the chopped beans and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
6. In a 30cm x 20cm (13 x 9 in.) baking dish, form a layer using half the noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella.
7. Repeat to form a second layer.
8. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.
9. Bake uncovered at 180c (350 degrees) for 25 minutes, until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbling.

4 servings.

This is a simple way to serve fiddleheads. If fiddleheads are unavailable or out of season, asparagus or artichoke hearts could be substituted with good results.

It goes well with a simple salad, crusty bread and a nice dry white wine.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fiddleheads, cleaned and trimmed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 large portobello mushroom cap
• 170g (6 ounces) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (approx)
• half a box of linguine
• 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Slice the mushrooms, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes into long strips and set aside.
2. Sauté the ferns and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the onions and sauté until they start to wilt.
4. Add the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or so.
5. Season with salt and pepper, toss in the pine nuts, add a splash of water, reduce heat and cover. Let sweat for about 10 minutes (or so).
6. During this have the linguine begin to cook so that it is ready when the topping is ready.
7. In a pasta bowl, add the veggies to the linguine, sprinkle on the cheese, and toss.
8. Serve immediately.

Eggplant Pasta – This tasty vegetable stew is great served with your favorite pasta.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant (aubergine)
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt to taste
• 2 tins of peeled tomatoes
• 1 chili pepper
• handfuls of fresh basil
• dried Italian herbs (marjoram, basil, capsicum, oregano, rosemary, parsley, garlic, thyme) - often sold pre-mixed.
• fresh garlic, crushed
• pasta (your favourite)

Serves 4.

Procedure

1. Slice eggplant and cover in salt. Leave for at least 30 minutes.
2. Rinse salt away, then squeeze until almost dry (this removes sourness).
3. Cut into chip-sized pieces and fry in oil.
4. Add onion and cook briefly.
5. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with freshly cooked pasta.

Notes, tips, and variations

• The amounts of the various ingredients are not really important. Experiment and adjust to taste.
• It is often better to prepare the vegetables the night before as this gives time for the flavours of the chili pepper, garlic, and herbs to diffuse through the mix.
• Spiral pasta is a good choice as it holds the sauce to itself.

Warnings

• Always wash your hands after handling chili peppers. Be especially careful not to touch your eyes.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 400g plain flour
• Extra flour for kneading

Procedure

• Sift the flour onto a large work surface, and create a well in the centre
• Break the eggs into the well
• Slowly draw the flour into the eggs either using a spoon or your hands
• Knead into a smoooth, elastic dough
• Roll to desired thickness, using extra flour and cut to desired shape
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil
• Add the noodles to the water and cook until al dente

N.B:

• While this recipe says that 400 grams of flour should be sufficient for creating the dough more may be necessary depending upon the size of the eggs
• This recipe usually makes enough noodles for four people, however depending on the shape of pasta more may be needed. A good rule of thumb is one large egg per person.

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 80ml (1/4 cup) water
• 580ml (2 cups) flour
• 1-2 teaspoon of olive oil

Procedure

• In a bowl beat together egg yolks, egg, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in water.
• Stir in flour.
• Knead into ball.
• Roll out on a floured surface until 2 mm to 4 mm (1/16″ to 1/8″) thick.
• Cut into noodles 6 mm (1/4″) wide.
• Bring water to a boil in a pot, add oil.
• Add noodles to a boiling water, and cook until done.

Ingredients

• olive oil
• garlic cloves
• ripe tomatoes
• salt
• ground black pepper
• fresh cream
• oregano

Procedure

1. Finely chop tomatoes or purée them in a food processor - this depends on what consistency you want. Chopping gives a chunkier sauce while using puréed tomatoes yields a smoother sauce.
2. Grind garlic to paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Using a pan with non-stick coating needs less oil.
4. When oil is hot (but not too hot), turn down heat and add garlic paste.
5. When garlic is golden-brown, add tomatoes.
6. Tomatoes have to be cooked until done - they’ll look and smell cooked instead of raw, and will be a deeper, redder colour.
7. Half way there, add salt and pepper.
8. When tomatoes are almost done, add fresh cream (more if you want, but less is good too).
9. After half a minute, add oregano.
10. Cook for another minute, and your pasta sauce is ready.
11. Add cooked pasta and vegetables and serve hot.