Spaghettini with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Gorgonzola

 

1 pound spaghettini (or any thin long pasta)

1 pound of brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 large onion, sliced thinly

6-8 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch strips

3 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, saute bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is almost crisp. Remove bacon from pan, saving the fat in the pan. Saute onions in the pan over medium heat until golden and softened. Increase heat to medium-high, add brussels sprouts and stir once in a while until cooked and bits are getting caramelized. Add bacon to this mixture.

In the meantime, cook pasta in large pot of salted water until al dente and a bit firmer than you want in the end. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the vegetable-bacon mixture while on medium heat, tossing the pasta. Add gorgonzola and 1/2 cup of pasta water, keep tossing until the water is absorbed. Add more water if it seems dry. Season with salt and pepper and serve piping hot.

Linguini with Gorganzola Cream Sauce, Bacon, and Leek Confit

Yes, it is excessive
Yes, it is delicious
It was PERFECT served with kale chips. Liam ate silently. That never happens.

Serves 4-6
1 pound linguini
1/4 pound thick cut bacon (Whole Foods Black Forest)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2-3 cups of leek confit (see recipe below, from about 2 bunches leeks)
1 cup cream approx
1/2 cup milk 3 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled (Gorgonzola Piccante IGOR)
salt and pepper to taste

 Make sauce while linguini is cooking

 In a large shallow saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until nearly crispy. Remove bacon from pan, reserving the fat. Turn heat to low, add garlic to the bacon fat. Stir for about 10 seconds, then add the flour, stirring until evenly absorbed. Add leek confit, stirring to prevent sticking. Once leeks are warmed, add cream and milk. Stir gently until thickened and bubbling. Add gorgonzola and blend gently until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. You can add a bit of pasta water if the sauce is too thick.

LEEK CONFIT

 We buy leeks only when they are on sale at the Italian Market in South Philly. This weekend we got 3 huge bunches for $3. Whenever I have lots of leeks, I make leek confit and use it as a side, on top of pizzas, or in pastas like the one above. The recipe is easily scaled up and down. It really is worth making when you have more than one bunch of leeks at hand, since it takes the same amount of time either way.

3 bunches of leeks, rinsed well, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons of butter (about 2 tablespoons per bunch)

In a large heavy pan (I use a wide, shallow, enameled cast iron pan), gently heat the butter on low-medium heat. Add leeks and cover, stirring every 10 minutes or so until softened and starting to caramelize around the edges, about 30-40 minutes at least. By the time they are ready, the leeks should nearly melt together. If they end up a bit watery, remove the lid and let the water boil off.

 These store pretty well in the fridge, but never last very long.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta

A Fall themed pasta that leaves you feeling satisfied.

Serves 4

1.5 pound bunch of broccoli rabe
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound mild Italian sausage
2 cups tomato sauce (or puree a can of tomatoes in juice)
salt and pepper to taste
1 box (14-16 ounces) pasta, I used penne


Prepare the broccoli rabe while you make the rest of the sauce and boil pasta:

Chop broccoli rabe into large 2-3 inch pieces. Arrange in 2 large baking dishes or 1 large baking sheet. Douse with a few tablespoons olive oil, garlic, hot pepper and toss. Bake at 400 degrees until bright green and almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Saute onion in a couple teaspoons olive oil. Squeeze sausage from casing into pan and break up into small pieces while cooking. Once sausage is nearly done, about 5 minutes later, add tomato sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add broccoli rabe and pour over drained pasta.

Delicious with a bit of sheep's milk pecorino over the top.

Summer Pesto

Every time I have a basil overload, I make tons and tons of pesto. My pesto usually contains: masses of basil, a little garlic, lots of olive oil, toasted walnuts, and a bit of salt. I leave out the parmesan (it's expensive and I can always add it to the pasta later), and forgo expensive pine nuts. This recipe is one way I use the boxes of frozen pesto from my freezer while incorporating tons of veggies.

Serves a good 6-8 people quite easily given the large volume

1 pound whole wheat fusilli (I used Trader Joes, which is excellent)
8 ounces pesto
3 medium summer squash, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 green peppers, diced
1 bunch of rainbow chard, sliced thinly
about 1-2 inches of nice salami, sliced thinly into strips
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add onions and saute until softened over medium-high heat. Add salami strips and cook for a few seconds until they begin to sizzle. Then add green peppers, summer squash, and chard one at a time, sauteeing for a few minutes in between each addition. When everything is just cooked to your liking, remove from heat and empty out into a large bowl. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Prepare pasta according to box directions, but remember to leave the pasta pretty al dente so it doesn't get overcooked. Save a little of the pasta water in case you need to thin out the pesto. Drain pasta and dump into the large bowl with the summer veggies. Toss everything with the pesto, adding pasta water and olive oil as needed until the pasta is nicely coated.