The CookingBites recipe challenge: pasta

IMG_3681.jpeg


Penne Regate with Meatballs. Pasta dishes can be incredibly quick or incredibly time-consuming, depending on the Italian kitchen where you are making them.
 
Last edited:
Cannelloni with Romesco Sauce
I often make cannelloni at home. It's a bit of a faff for some, but for the classic version (stuffed with ricotta and spinach and smothered in a tomato sauce), I've usually got frozen spinach and a tomato sauce already made.
Yesterday, however, I wanted to do three things. Firstly, I wanted to use up some grilled peppers I'd made a few days ago. Secondly, I wanted to use a small amount of hazelnuts and slivered almonds I had left over from Xmas. Finally, I wanted a new take on the classic version, Nothing wrong with it; I just wanted to tweak it a bit, so I thought Spanish romesco, instead of the classic tomato.
The result was delicious. I had a plateful yesterday and another plateful today!
cannelloni w romesco 3.jpg
 
I'm hoping to see entries from folks who have tried the new(?) method of putting pasta ascuitta (dry store-bought) in a pot, covering it with an inch of water and cooking until the water has evaporated. Also, has anyone who has made pasta in a pressure cooker?

Otherwise all I can contribute is this: if you can get pasta made in Italy (and that means NOT Barilla), try it. It beats our domestic brands to sky-blue fits. It should be WHITE, not yellow. White means slow-dried--min. 24 hours--and better taste. Yellow means fast oven-drying (exception: a FEW Italian brands are yellow because of a difference in milling the wheat, and maybe the type of wheat).
I get Reggano and Priano at Aldi, Garofalo at Costco, and Italiamo Spaghettoni and Preferred Selection at Lidl (apparently renamed for the US market. The Trader Joe's Italian is good. Oddly enough I've found Rummo and La Pasta di Mamma Isa at LotLess, a chain of ouit;let stores. Finally, for sauce we like over-ripe tomatoes that hereabouts go for a buck a bag at our local grocer. They're extra sweet, but you've got to use them prontissimo.
 
I don't shop at ALDI, and we don't have Lidl where I live. I have purchased Garafalo from COSTCO. I buy Di Cecco dried Pasta, most of the time. Works for me.

CD
 
Back
Top Bottom