Saffron Tagliarini With Snails Sorrel Tomato Zucchini Recipes

SAFFRON TAGLIARINI WITH SNAILS, SORREL, TOMATO, ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• For the pasta:
• Combine ingredients in food processor or large mixer until dough ball forms.
• Rest mixed ingredients for half an hour to one hour in the fridge.
• Roll out through pasta machine to make thin, silky sheets then put through the machine at a tagliarini setting (or roll out by hand into a thin sheet and then cut noodles using a pizza cutter).
• Hang to dry over a broom handle; while still soft, curl into loose nests.
• For the sauce:.
• Clean and slice zucchini into strips.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes.
• Sauté strips of zucchini in olive oil with cherry tomatoes and crushed garlic over medium heat until vegetables soften.
• Add the snails and sorrel and season to taste, adding lemon zest and cooking till sorrel is softened and snails are heated through.
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta and cook for one to two minutes (or until al dente--if you are using freshly pasta, it will cook very quickly). Drain and toss with the snails and sorrel sauce.
• Serve immediately.

TAGLIATELLE WITH SHRIMP, ZUCCHINI AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat.
• Coat a large, wide pot set over medium-high heat with olive oil. Toss in the garlic and crushed red pepper. When the garlic becomes golden and very aromatic, remove from the pan and discard. Toss in the tomatoes, zucchini and onions and roll them around in the oil. Add 1 cup of the stock and season with salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes start to burst and give off their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup more stock if the liquid level is very low.
• Drop the tagliatelle into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Toss the shrimp into the pot with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and then toss the pasta immediately into the pot with the tomato mixture. Add in the reserved cooking water, if needed. Toss vigorously to combine. Remove from the heat and drizzle some finishing oil over the top, then add the Parmesan and a sprinkling of fresh oregano to garnish. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.
• Place the flour on a clean dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour about 8-inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, a pinch of salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt. Then begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together as a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch, but not to tear, the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 minutes for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately, do not refrigerate.
• To roll out the pasta, you need to run the dough through a pasta roller a bunch of times to get it long and thin. To start, cut off about a quarter of the dough, keeping the rest wrapped up so it doesn't dry out. Squish the dough to flatten it. Run the dough through the pasta roller starting on the widest setting, number 1. Then dust the dough with flour, fold it into thirds, and put the dough through this setting two more times. If the dough ever feels sticky or tacky, dust with flour. Now adjust the setting to number 2 and repeat the process again, changing the setting each time until the dough reaches the desired thickness. Once the dough is rolled out, be sure to keep the pasta covered so it doesn't dry out. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, then cut the dough to the desires pasta shape.

ZUCCHINI, ONION AND TOMATO SALAD WITH SAFFRON AND CINNAMON

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, onions, garlic, cinnamon stick and saffron. Cover; cook until zucchini is tender and onions are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes, parsley and mint. Cool to room temperature. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

ZUCCHINI AND SAFFRON VICHYSSOISE WITH SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Thinly julienne zucchini lengthwise with slicer, working around core, into 1/4-inch-thick ribbons. Cut zucchini cores into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook onion in butter in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, and saffron and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add chopped zucchini cores and simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is very tender, about 8 minutes.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then cool to room temperature, uncovered. Chill soup, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
• While soup is chilling, cook julienned zucchini in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds, then drain and transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and chill, covered.
• Before serving soup, cut each scallop horizontally into 3 rounds and pat dry. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear scallops until golden brown, 20 to 30 seconds on each side, and season with salt.
• Serve soup with zucchini mounded in center, topped with scallop rounds.

ZUCCHINI TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Using a slotted spoon, transfer salsa to a serving bowl. Serve with tortilla chips.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, SHRIMP AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the zucchini rounds in the hot oil until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the rounds out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Repeat until all the zucchini is cooked.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, combine the stock and saffron in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Set aside.
• Place the skillet in which the zucchini has cooked back over high heat. If there is less than 1 tablespoon of oil remaining in the pan, add a bit more. When the oil is very hot, add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they are just cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock, basil and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss quickly over low heat until combined. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan on the side.