Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto

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I am not sure about you, but cooking has a meditative and soothing effect on me. Maybe because it gives me structure, a result to look forward to and the hands-on process makes me focused on what I am doing at that specific moment. Quite often I catch myself being concentrated only on the specific task I am doing, maybe it is chopping a tomato or thin slicing a cucumber, my mind stops to spin around and it stays where my hands are. I am not trying to plan my next task. I am only concentrated on the one I am doing right at that moment and I want give my whole attention and respect to it. Then, when I am done, I move onto the next ingredient and I follow the same process. The coolest thing about it is that it comes to me naturally, I don’t force myself to do it that way, I don’t think about it. It just happens. And it is only when someone shares how frustrating cooking is for them that I start thinking why I love cooking so much.

For some reason cooking, traveling and dogs (the big, soft, happy, wet nosed kind!!!), are at no fear to me. I want to grab them, hug them, smell them and follow them (and not only the dogs – and even if they might be covered with mud and smell like a dead mouse). Doing and being around these things makes me very happy. That is the reason why I try to cook new recipes. They teach me new things and expand my perception of life. And that is not to say that I jump from one thing to another. Quite often I fall in love with a recipe that I want to cook until I perfect it – even if it means that I will have to eat potatoes every day for lunch and dinner for 2 weeks.

The following recipe is of the latest kind. I have been cooking and eating this pasta until I got it to the point of pure lovely yumminess. It is simple, yet it has all elements of a beautiful dish. It starts with building flavors by crisping the prosciutto and sautéing the shallots, garlic and wine in the prosciutto drippings. Then adding the al dente pasta and allowing it to soak all the yummy flavors. And finishing by tossing the pasta with lots of fresh Parmesan which makes for a creamy complex-flavored sauce.

This recipe is a favorite of mine. I often make it for my friends on the nights when laughing is more important than the heavy, multi-hours, 5 course – ala Martha Stewart type of cooking. And that recipe never failed me.

See you soon my fiends! Cook something tonight and be happy!

Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto

 

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 1/3 dry spaghetti package
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4-5 prosciutto slices, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium size shallot
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed 
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/4 dry thyme)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Pour yourself a glass of white wine, sip and enjoy the cooking:

2. Heat a large pot with 4 quarts of salted water until it reaches the boiling point. Add the spaghetti and stir gently to separate. Lower the heat to medium-high, watch so water doesn’t over boil and stir from time to time to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until the pasta is al dente (neither crunchy nor too soft).

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Arrange the prosciutto pieces so they cover the pan and are not touching each other. Adjust the heat to medium-low, cook the prosciutto for 1 minute, then turn the pieces on the other side and cook for an additional minute – until crispy but not burnt. Remove the prosciutto with a slotted spoon, place on a plate and set aside.

4. Using the same pan (do not clean the prosciutto drippings) add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, shallot and the garlic. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and peas and cook for 30 seconds. Using tongs or a spaghetti spoon (long, cupped, pronged spoon) take the spaghetti out of the water and place them into the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Add 2 ladles of the spaghetti water, stir well and cook on low heat until most of the water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. The pasta should be wet and have some liquid, if dry add a 1/2 ladle of the pasta water. Turn the heat off. Add thyme, prosciutto, Parmesan and pepper (to taste) to the pan. Toss the pasta gently using 2 spoons until Parmesan cheese coats the noodles and turns into a creamy sauce.

5. Divide the pasta between 2 plates. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and serve right away.
   
   Enjoy!

TIP: If you forgot to thaw the peas in advance, place them in the pot with the boiling spaghetti. Remove them after 1-2 minutes using a slotted spoon

Rustic Crostini

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Once upon a time, there was a handsome Rustic Bread, who lived in a French bakery. The Bread really liked the bakery, especially the nice big oven where he would sit and warm up his feet until his toes would start dancing around. The bakery was a magical place. It was full of delightful aromas, big trays of  vanilla cream éclairs, buttery croissants and long crunchy baguettes. The Rustic Bread was given the prime spot in the bakery, he was placed on a high wooden shelf, neatly lined with a soft cloth where he would sit comfortably and observe all the customers who came to the bakery.

Not long after he made his way to the shelf,  a girl in a coat with the color of a fall leaf came to the bakery. She looked around and her eyes stopped on the Rustic Bread. She liked his dark brown coat and his big soft heart and asked if she could take him home. The Rustic Bread jumped in her bag and their journey began.

The girl’s home was smaller than the bakery, but it was bright and sunny, in fact it was so sunny that the Rustic Bread thought of it as a giant sunflower. Soon after he arrived, the Rustic Bread was introduced to a group of new friends; the wise lemony Ricotta, the cheerful Cherry Tomatoes, the classy Prosciutto, the good hearted Honey, the handsome Basil and the friendly familia of Bella Mushrooms. Everyone liked the Rustic Bread and he developed special friendships with each of them. If he felt like having a glass of wine, the Rustic Bread would call the lemony Ricotta, the bursting with life Tomatoes and the handsome Basil. Four of them (plus the latter addition of the thick accented Kalamata Olive) would get together and a bottle of wine will not be enough to share all their stories and laughs. The Bread also liked having long conversations about life with the wise Ricotta and good hearted Honey. But nothing could replace his weekend visits with the Bella Mushroom familia - there was something special about them that touched the Bread’s heart. Last but not least, the Rustic Bread liked the refined company of the classy Prosciutto and the beautiful Basil, who would sit around the fireplace and discuss art, fashion and music with a great passion and devotion. But above all, what the Rustic Bread enjoyed the most was when all of his friends gathered together. They would talk, tell stories, sing, dance, laugh – simply be happy to be around each other. After all that is what friendship is all about – a good circle of big hearted creatures who love each other for who they are.

The end.

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This is a story of friendship and today’s recipe is about food that is meant to be shared with friends. As every one of our friends is unique and different, so is each of the Crostini. Each one is perfect on its own, but together they create a special group. Try them all and let me know which ones are your favorites. I don’t want to spoil the surprise before you try them, but just a hint – I prefer red wine. 

Rustic Crostini

Serves 6-8 (when making all Crostini)

Ingredients:

Ricotta and roasted cherry tomatoes Crostini
• 1/2 loaf thick crusted rustic bread, sliced with each slice cut in half
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes (I used mixed blend)
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta❤  
• 1/4 cups whole Kalamata olives❤❤
• 1 clove garlic, whole
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• Coarse sea salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

Ricotta and honey Crostini
• 1/2 loaf thick crusted Rustic bread, sliced with each slice cut in half
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta❤
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 lemon, zested

Prosciutto and roasted cherry tomatoes Crostini
• 1/2 loaf thick crusted rustic bread, sliced with each slice cut in half
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes (I used mixed blend)
• 4-oz. prosciutto
• 1 clove garlic, whole
• Coarse sea salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

Mushroom Crostini
• 1/2 loaf thick crusted rustic bread, sliced with each slice cut in half
• 10-oz. baby bella (crimini) mushrooms
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• Coarse sea salt
• Pepper

❤ If possible, buy hand dipped ricotta. It has creamier and velvety texture. Regular supermarket ricotta has a chalky and rubbery consistency and it has a higher water content. Hand dipped ricotta can be found in most organic food stores and co-ops.

❤❤ Whole olives (with the pits) are richer and more complex in flavor compared to pitted olives. To remove the pit, firmly press the olive with the flat side of  a knife, the olive will soften and the pit will be exposed. 

Directions:

1. Mix the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and a dash of salt in a large bowl. Set aside (do not refrigerate if using right away).
   

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
   

3. Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and add a liberal amount of olive oil (about 3 tablespoons), salt and pepper. Toss with your hands until the tomatoes are coated evenly. Spread on the tray and bake for 1 hour.
   

4. Meanwhile, brush off the dirt form the mushrooms (mushrooms absorb a lot of water, brushing them with a soft kitchen brush instead of rinsing them it prevents them from becoming soggy). Chop the mushrooms roughly. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Do not overcrowd the mushrooms, otherwise they will not brown evenly (do them in batches, if necessary). Stir the mushrooms frequently and cook until evenly brown (about 5 minutes). Add the chopped shallot and cook for about a minute. Then add the white wine and thyme and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
   

5. Toast the bread in a toaster, grill or oven broiler until the edges are brown (about 2 minutes). Do not make more than 8-10 toasts at the same time (the warmer the bread, the better). When ready, immediately rub a garlic clove (tip cut off to expose the juices) on one side of the bread and drizzle some olive oil. Omit the garlic and olive oil for the ricotta and honey version.
   

6. For the ricotta and roasted cherry tomatoes Crostini: Top toasts with ricotta cheese and arrange 3-4 tomatoes, 2-3 Kalamata olive halves, crack some black pepper, a few torn pieces of basil leaves and drizzle a bit more olive oil.
   

7. For the ricotta and honey Crostini: Top toasts with ricotta, sprinkle a few toasted walnuts and drizzle some honey.
   

8. For the prosciutto and roasted cherry tomatoes Crostini: Top toasts with a few pieces of prosciutto, 3-4 tomatoes, crack some black pepper and add a few torn pieces of basil leaves.
   

9. For the mushroom Crostini: Top toasts with the warm mushroom mix.

Poached eggs with peas and crisp prosciutto

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Poached eggs have always being a challenge to me. I used to follow my mom’s recipe – cracking several of them in a pot of salted and vinegary boiling water and simmering on low until the yolk is done. That was a disaster. 

I tried the tornado in boiling water method, which helped the egg white stay around, but I could only make one egg at a time. Then, one day, I was watching an episode of America’s Test Kitchen and they showed an easy, five-minute method, of poaching as many as eight eggs at the same time.

This seemed easy enough, so I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, the eggs turned out just right. This success lead me to having poached eggs as a regular quick weekend lunch. And a side of greens or a crispy prosciutto peas makes the eggs even more delicious.

Poached eggs with peas and crispy prosciutto

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas (preferably baby), thawed  
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 4 pieces of good quality prosciutto, teared into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt 

Directions:

Poached eggs
America's Test Kitchen

Crack 2 eggs in the same cup (total of 2 cups). Make sure the yolks do not break. If a yolk breaks, discard the egg and crack a new one. Set the cups aside.

Fill a large pan (yes pan, not pot) almost to the rim with water. Add the vinegar and the salt. Bring the pan to a boil. Remove the pan from heat.

Pour the cups with eggs, at the same time,  into the water. Cover the pot and let it stay for 5 minutes.

Peas with crispy prosciutto:

1. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in a non-sticking pan on a medium-high. Add the prosciutto pieces one by one making sure that they are not sticking together (do it in 2 batches if necessary). Set the heat to a low and crisp the prosciutto on one side for about 30 sec., then flip the pieces and crisps for another 30 seconds. Make sure the prosciutto is not burned. Place the crisps onto a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Do not clean the pan.

2. Using the same pan from the prosciutto, heat the remaining 1/2 of the olive oil on a medium-high. Add the shallots and gently sauté them for about 1 minute. Add the thawed peas and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the lemon juice, stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the prosciutto crisps and toss gently.

3. Check the eggs by gently touching the yolk with your finger. The yolk should be soft, but not runny (the egg white should not be watery). If the eggs need more time let them stay in the pan for an extra minute. When done, remove each egg with a slotted spoon, tilting spoon slightly to remove the excess water. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange the plates by placing 2 eggs on each and add some of the peas with prosciutto on the side. If desired, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheesecheese over the peas. Serve while still warm.