Category: Pasta, Rice and Bread

Fettuccine with Clams and Sun Gold Tomatoes

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The only thing better than fresh tomatoes and pasta in the summer is fresh tomatoes and pasta with shellfish in the summer. Adapted from Bon Appetit, this incredibly easy fettuccine comes together in a matter of minutes, making the best of the season’s bounty. If you can, use fresh pasta here, although dry noodles will work just fine too.

Ingredients:
  • Salt
  • 3 pounds clams, scrubbed
  • 12 ounces fresh fettuccine
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons white miso
  • 12 ounces Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes, halved, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup torn basil, plus more for serving
  1. Partially fill a large bowl with cool water, add a handful of salt, and mix to dissolve. Add clams; let sit 15 minutes to expel grit. Drain and rinse. Repeat with a fresh bowl of cool water and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute short of al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Set pasta aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Pour in wine, add drained reserved clams, and increase heat to medium-high. Cover and cook, until clams are open, about 4 minutes. Transfer opened clams to a large bowl. Leave unopened clams in pot, re-cover, and continue to cook, checking every 2 minutes to remove any open clams; discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and stir in miso to dissolve. Add half of the tomatoes and cook, pressing occasionally with spoon to help break open, until some of the tomatoes burst and release their juices, about 4 minutes.
  5. Add butter, remaining tomatoes, and reserved pasta and cook, tossing and adding reserved pasta cooking liquid a little at a time if needed, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce (it will thicken as it sits). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add clams along with any juices and basil and gently toss to combine.
  6. Arrange pasta on a serving platter and top with more basil.

Buttered Sungold Tomato Pasta

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It’s tomato season! It’s cliche, but if you have top-notch ingredients you really don’t need a whole lot else. When you get your hands on some homegrown Sungold (or similar cherry-esque) tomatoes, make this summery pasta dish. Get the best quality fresh pasta you can find too. Or better yet, make your own.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces fresh tagliatelle pasta (or similar)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 pints Sun Gold tomatoes, cut into halves, divided
  • Salt
  • 4 teaspoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 4 tablespoons torn or sliced basil, divided
  1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add garlic cloves and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Mix in 1 pint tomatoes, a big pinch of salt, and ¼ cup water. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes burst and become saucy, 6–8 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
  3. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with tomato sauce. Add butter, fish sauce, remaining tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the basil. Using tongs or a wooden spoon, cook, stirring and adding a few tablespoonfuls of pasta cooking liquid if needed, until pasta is coated and glossy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Divide pasta among serving plates and top with more Parmesan and remaining basil. 

Turkey Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice

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I know what you’re thinking, but listen, I’m not here for any turkey bacon slander. It’s salty, crispy, and savory: what’s not to love? Stir-fried with asparagus, they make an unlikely but deeply delicious pairing in this quick and easy fried rice. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound chopped turkey bacon
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups cold leftover steamed rice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  1. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and cook the turkey bacon over medium-high heat, flipping the turkey bacon every few minutes to evenly brown. After a few minutes, once the turkey bacon is cooked through and crispy, remove from the skillet but do not wipe the skillet clean.
  2. Sweat the ginger, garlic, and onion in the skillet until they become translucent and aromatic, about 1 minute.
  3. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, and stir them to break the yolks. Pour the eggs into the skilled and quickly stir to cook. While the eggs are still a little runny, push them to the side of the skillet. Add the remaining avocado oil to the center of the skillet and add the asparagus, stir-frying it in the oil for about 1 minute, then push it next to the eggs.
  4. Turn the heat to high and add the rice to the skillet, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Once the rice becomes loose, mix and fold the eggs and asparagus into the rice. Drizzle the soy sauce into the skillet, and continue to stir-fry. Add the reserved turkey bacon and green onions and season with black pepper and serve.

Chicken and Mushroom Wontons in Chili Oil

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Steamed, boiled, or fried, I’m a sucker for any and all dumplings. I keep a few different kinds in my homemade rotation, and these boiled wontons are my new favorites, thanks to a generous drizzle of chili crisp, soy sauce, and vinegar at the end.

These make enough for large crowd, but don’t be surprised if you end up wanting to eat them all yourself.

Ingredients:
  • 1 package wonton wrappers
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 cups garlic chives, chopped
  • 10 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried shiitake mushroom powder, made from 1 or 2 dried shiitake mushrooms ground in a spice grinder
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Chili crisp, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and sesame seeds, for serving
  1. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, garlic chives, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, dried mushroom powder, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  3. Place a small spoonful of filling (about 1 teaspoon) in the center of one of the wonton wrappers. Fold the bottom part up so that the dumpling forms a half circle and press all the way around to seal. Flip the dumpling over, grasp the two corners, and connect them by pinching one on top of the other. Repeat with remaining wontons and filling.
  4. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, drop the wontons in the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the dumpling floats to the top and is cooked through. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil.
  5. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the wontons straight from the cooking water to into a serving platter.
  6. Serve immediately with a few generous spoonfuls of chili crisp, soy sauce, black vinegar, green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds to taste.

Classic Ragu with Pasta

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Everyone needs a good ragu recipe in their back pocket, and this one is it. Cook a big batch slow and low, freeze it, and warm it up when the weather is chilly and you’re craving something super satisfying. Easy.

Ingredients:
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 pound spaghetti, fettuccine, or similar
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
  1. Prepare the meat: place the milk, 2 tablespoons olive oil, fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and a pinch of black pepper into a large bowl and stir. Add the beef and gently massage the marinade into the meat with your hands. Let the meat stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour while you prepare the sauce.
  2. Make the sauce: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
  3. Add the meat to the pot, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the meat is browned.
  4. Add the wine and cook for another 10 minutes, until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the tomatoes and juice, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands before the go into the pot. Add a pinch of black pepper and let the sauce simmer, partially covered, over low heat, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the water to the sauce to finish cooking, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and gently toss. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.