Orecchiette Wcaramelized Onions Sugar Peasricotta Cheese Recipes

ORECCHIETTE WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and let it sizzle a minute. Add the asparagus and toss to coat in the oil. Cook and toss until the asparagus just begins to soften, about 5 minutes (add a splash of pasta water if the garlic is in danger of burning). Cover with a lid.
• Uncover the asparagus, and at the same time add the orecchiette to the pasta water. Add the peas to the asparagus and season with the salt. Toss to combine and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallions, stir, and add 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes.
• When the pasta is al dente, remove with a spider directly to the sauce. Add the parsley, drizzle with some olive oil, and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss, garnish with pea tendrils and serve.

SAUSAGE ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook pasta as package directs.
• Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until no longer pink.
• If necessary, break large pieces apart with a wooden spoon.
• Add mushrooms and cook an additional 5 minutes.
• Pour in wine, reserved pasta water and black pepper.
• Stir in basil.
• Remove from heat; toss with pasta and cheese.
• Note: For perfect pasta every time, for 1 pound of dried pasta, bring at least 6 quarts of salted water to a boil.
• Add all of the pasta.
• With wooden spoon, stir once or twice to prevent sticking.
• Check at suggested time; if cooked properly, there will be no white inside.

ORECCHIETTE CARBONARA WITH PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. In a large sauté pan, place bacon and pancetta in oil over medium-low heat. Cook until bacon is browned and has rendered most of its fat. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat, leaving meat in the pan. Scrape in onion and garlic, and sauté until glassy and translucent, then add peas and thyme. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together eggs, egg yolks and cheese.
• When water comes to a rolling boil, stir in pasta and cook until tender but still a little chewy in the center (like a piece of gum). Ladle out a cup of cooking water, and reserve. Drain pasta, and pour it into sauté pan with bacon; grind coarse pepper over top. Fold pasta into sauce.
• Tip pasta into egg mixture, and fold it all together quickly, so eggs cook and coat pasta with a velvety sauce. Add pea tendrils (or spinach), and fold once more. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Add a little pasta water if it becomes too thick. Spoon into shallow bowls, and sprinkle with parsley.

ORECCHIETTE AND SUMMER VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Bring water to boil for pasta.
• Chop whole onion. Heat nonstick pan until it is very hot; reduce heat to medium-high, and add oil. Saute onion until it begins to soften.
• Meanwhile, wash, trim and cut zucchini into small cubes. Add to onion after it has begun to brown.
• Add orecchiette to boiling water, and cook according to package directions.
• Wash, trim and cube tomatoes, and add to zucchini and onions after zucchini has cooked a few minutes and begun to brown.
• Pit olives; coarsely chop, and add to pan.
• Scrape kernels from corn. Wash and mince basil. Just before dish is ready, add corn and basil, and season with salt and pepper.
• When orecchiette is ready, drain and stir into vegetables.

ORECCHIETTE WITH PEAS, RICOTTA, AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the pasta.
• Bring several cups water to a boil in a small pot for cooking the peas.
• Add the peas to the small pot of boiling water and cook until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and about 1 minute for frozen; drain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet.
• Add in the onion and saute until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the peas and cook for 30 seconds.
• Scrape the onion and peas into a bowl large enough to hold the orecchiette or small shells when cooked.
• Stir in the ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste.
• When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the orecchiette; cook until al dente and then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
• Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce, adding as much cooking water as needed to thin the sauce.
• Divide among individual bowls and serve immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Soak chickpeas in water to cover by 2 inches overnight (8 hours) or quick-soak (see cooks' note, below), then drain.
• Simmer chickpeas with whole garlic cloves and bay leaf in water to cover by 2 inches in a 4- to 5-quart pot, partially covered with lid, adding more water if necessary, until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Drain chickpeas and discard garlic and bay leaf.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion, celery, carrots, chopped garlic, red-pepper flakes (to taste), and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 12 minutes. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and sea salt to taste.
• Make orecchiette:
• Stir together water and sea salt in a bowl until salt has dissolved. Add semolina in a stream, beating with an electric mixer at medium speed until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with lightly floured hands (use all-purpose flour) until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Divide dough into 5 pieces and let stand under an overturned bowl 30 minutes.
• Line each of 2 trays (or a work surface) with a dry kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust with some semolina. Keeping remaining dough covered, roll 1 piece of dough into a 14-inch-long rope (about 3/4 inch thick) on an unfloured surface. Cut rope into 1/4-inch pieces. Dust your thumb with some flour and press down on each piece of dough, pushing away from you and twisting your thumb slightly to form an indented curled shape (like an ear). Transfer as formed to lined trays. Make more orecchiette with remaining dough. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes.
• Cook orecchiette:
• Cook orecchiette in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente, then drain and toss with sauce.

ORECCHIETTE W/CARAMELIZED ONIONS, SUGAR PEAS/RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onions.
• Saute until onions are pale golden, about 6 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium; saute onions until tender and deep golden, about 15 minutes longer.
• Transfer 3/4 cup sauteed onions to a small bowl;reserve for another dish.
• Add peas to onions in skillet.
• Saute until peas are crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat.
• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
• Add pasta and 1/2 cup cooking liquid to onion mixture; stir over medium high heat 30 seconds.
• Mix in ricotta, basil (if using), lemon peel and lots of black pepper, adding more cooking liquid to moisten as needed.
• Season with either of Mrs Dash's seasonings, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if using), to taste.