Fifty Shapes of Yellow: 50 Delicious Italian Pasta Recipes (7 page)

Maltagliati Romagnoli

(Maltagliati with
Vegetables)

Preparation Time:
15 min.

Cooking Time:
30 min.

Serves:
4

Difficulty:
★★✪✪✪

Ingredients

• ¾
  pound dry lasagna, broken into 2 inch pieces
  
• 1 cup frozen
  spinach, thawed and sliced
  
• ½ large Savoy cabbage
  (outer leaves removed), quartered, cored, and finely sliced
  
• 10 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
  
• ¼ cup cashew nuts, crushed
  
• 1 cup vegetable stock
  
• 2 finely chopped shallots
  
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• black pepper
  
• salt
  
• kosher salt
  

Directions

Bring a pot of
salted water to a boil.

Heat olive oil in a
large sauté pan over low heat.

Add shallots and
fry for a couple of minutes without browning them.

Add mushrooms and
½ cup of stock.

Cover and cook
for ten minutes.

Add spinach,
cabbage, cashew nuts and remaining stock. Cook over medium heat until reduced
(five/seven minutes).

Season with salt
and pepper. Taste.

Cook pasta “al
dente”, drain and add to the pan.

Toss over high
heat for a minute and serve.

Mezze Penne Mari e Monti

(Surf and Turf Mezze Penne)

Preparation Time:
20 min.

Cooking Time:
30 min.

Serves:
4

Difficulty:
★★★✪✪

Ingredients

• ¾ pound Mezze Penne pasta
  
• 1 pound mussels, washed
  
• 1 pound clams, washed
  
• ½
  pound fresh porcini mushrooms, cut into ½ inch dices
  
• 1 garlic clove
  
• ½ cup dry white wine
  
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• black pepper
  
• kosher salt
  

Directions

Bring a pot of
salted water to a boil.

Heat two tablespoons of
olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add mussels, cover.

Cook until shells
open (four/five minutes, discard mussels that won’t open). Discard shells.

Put mussels aside
in a glass or ceramic bowl with ½ cup of their cooking water. Set
remaining cooking water aside .

Repeat process
with clams.

Heat one tablespoon of
olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add garlic and
brown. Remove garlic.

Add mushrooms and
½ cup of the remaining cooking water.

Cook for five
minutes adding more cooking water if needed.

Add mussels and
clams.

Pour wine and
stir for a minute over high heat.

Cook pasta “al
dente”, drain and add to the sauté pan.

Sprinkle with
pepper and serve.

Orecchiette alle Cime di
Rapa

(Orecchiette with Broccoli
Rabe)

Preparation Time:
15 min.

Cooking Time:
20 min.

Serves:
4

Difficulty:
★★✪✪✪

Ingredients

• ¾ pound Orecchiette pasta
  
• 1 ½
  pounds broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
  
• 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
  
• 1
  small red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• kosher salt
  

Directions

Bring a pot of
salted water to a boil.

Add broccoli and
orecchiette. Cook together until pasta is ready.

Meanwhile, heat
three tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add garlic,
chilli and anchovies. Cook for three minutes.

Drain pasta and
broccoli. Add to the pan and toss well over high heat for a minute.

Drizzle with the
remaining olive oil and serve immediately.

Paccheri Ricotta e Pomodoro

(Paccheri with Ricotta and
Tomato Sauce)

Preparation Time:
15 min.

Cooking Time:
25 min.

Serves:
4

Difficulty:
★✪✪✪✪

Ingredients

• 1 pound Paccheri pasta
  
• 1 (14 oz) can tomato purée
  
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
  
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  
• a few leaves
  of fresh basil, shredded
  
• kosher salt
  

Directions

Bring a pot of
salted water to a boil.

Heat olive oil in a
large saucepan over medium heat.

Add shallot and
brown.

Add red pepper
flakes and tomato purée.

Lower heat, cover
partially and simmer for ten minutes until reduced.

Add basil and
ricotta cheese. Melt over medium heat.

Add a little cooking
water if the sauce is too thick.

Cook pasta “al
dente”.

Drain and add to
the saucepan.

Stir and coat
with the sauce.

Add Parmigiano
cheese.

Toss to coat and
serve.

Penne Gratinate ai 4
Formaggi

(Four Cheese Penne Au
Gratin)

Preparation Time:
20 min.

Cooking Time:
40 min.

Serves:
4

Difficulty:
★★✪✪✪

Ingredients

• 1 pound Penne pasta
  
• ½
  pound four different cheeses of your choice, cut into dices
  
• ½ cup heavy cream
  
• ½ cup milk
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  
• a pinch
  (⅛
  teaspoon)
  of nutmeg
  
• cooking spray
  
• black pepper
  
• salt
  
• kosher salt
  

Directions

Preheat oven to
400°F.

Bring a pot of
salted water to a boil.

Heat milk in a large
saucepan over medium heat.

Melt butter.

Add nutmeg and
cheeses and melt over low heat, constantly stirring.

Gradually stir
cream in.

Season with salt
and pepper. Taste.

Cook pasta very
“al dente”, drain and transfer to the pan.

Toss to coat with
the sauce.

Spray baking dish
with cooking spray.

Transfer pasta to
the baking dish.

Sprinkle with
Parmigiano cheese.

Bake until
topping is golden brown (eight/ten minutes).

Serve
immediately.