Clam Linguine Recipe

This is a really easy recipe. It requires minimal ingredients and minimal cooking skills. If you haven't tried cooking too many recipes yet, try this one! 

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt

1/2 pound linguine

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly chopped

1 medium onion chopped

1 pound clams, scrubbed

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 

Head of Broccoli (optional as side)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. I served this with a side of steamed broccoli. Chop broccoli, and add to a pot with just enough water to cover the bottom. Boil on high and remove when broccoli is steamed to your liking, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes. Drain both when finished.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot. Sauté the onions, stirring until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano and cook until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Stir clams into sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cockles open wide, 4 to 6 minutes.  Add pasta to clams along with parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste, then toss with sauce until combined well.

Classic Italian Lasagna

I first got the inspiration to make lasagna in preparation for a hurricane in New York City last summer. Hurricane Irene caused all the subways to be shut down and lower Manhattan to be evacuated. So knowing I wasn't going anywhere that weekend, I just wanted to stay in and eat. Given that I had all the time in the world, I really wanted to challenge myself with a recipe. I chose lasagna because I always felt that good lasagna could only be made by a fat italian mother who has been cooking in the kitchen from the day she was born. But I'm happy to say it came out glorious - with all of its crispy edges (thats the best part!). It involves a little more prep-work compared to other recipes, but it's well worth the labor. Below is a recipe that I used mainly from Giada De Laurentis on Food Network. I combined elements from a few lasagne recipes I found online and created this simplified one in just 3 easy steps.

Total Time: 1 hr and 15mins
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 onions
1 clove garlic
Fresh basil
Fresh Parsley 

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, a recipe follows: 

Simple Tomato Sauce: 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional 

Béchamel Sauce: 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make Your Sauces First.

 
Tomato Sauce
In a large casserole pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. 
Tip: If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Béchamel Sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

2. Meat and Cheese!

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Cook the lasagna noodles per the instructions on the box to al dente. Salt the water to prevent the noodles from sticking together. While the noodles are soaking, make the cheese filling. In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Now Let's Start Building the Layers!

My best tip is to arrange all the ingredients of the layers in a assembly line! Trust me, this will do wonders to minimize confusion. Begin by spreading a layer of bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna. Top it off with any remaining béchamel sauce. It will coat the top of the lasagna nicely.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes. Remove, let cool, and enjoy. Resist the urge to break off all the crispy noodle edges on top! I try to, but I usually cant resist!

Penne with Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

One day at home, I was just in a creative cooking mood and wanted to make something from whatever was in the fridge. I saw broccoli and cherry tomatoes. I realized I had a box of penne and Voila! This recipe was born! Its so easy and quick.  Perfect if you're short on time or want to whip something together for some unexpected guests.

Main

1 package of penne pasta

Broccoli 

Cherry tomatoes

Home-made Pasta Sauce

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste

2-3 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

4-5 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 tsp of salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop your onions and garlic. Cook in a large pot with olive oil until browned. Add tomato paste and mix well. Add tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Mix well. Cook for at least 20 minutes on low heat. (If you have time, the longer the sauce simmers for, the better. Serious Italians will tell you that the sauce needs to cook for 2 hours!)

Cut the broccoli and halve the cherry tomatoes. In a separate pan, steam the broccoli for approximately 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.  Immediately remove from eat, and shock them by running under cold water.  (If you have chicken or some other kind of protein, cook that first as well by browning in a pan first).

In a large pot of boiling water, add a dash of salt and cook pasta until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). When cooked, drain the pasta. When ready, add the pasta, broccoli, and halved cherry tomatoes to the sauce pan and mix well. Let the pasta simmer for another few minutes for everything to mix together. Season again if needed. 

Shrimp Scampi

This is a recipe not made by me, but was thoroughly enjoyed by yours truly so I will share it with you. Its simple, delicious, and quick to prepare if you're in a rush.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 pound linguine
• • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
  • 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • Juice of 1 lemon

• Directions

Pasta: Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to a boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates. Cover and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp. Coat with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside

Finally: Add wine and lemon juice to the pan and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. When mixed well, divide the shrimp and arrange on a platter with the linguine, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, (and my favorite - red pepper flakes) and garnish with parsley. 


Buon Appetito!

Scarpetta, New York City

Scarpetta is an expression which means" little shoe" in Italian but also refers to the bread that you use to sop the lingering sauce. And it is the perfect metaphor for this restaurant because it will make you want to finish every last drop of food on your plate because it's that good! This restaurant is the brain-child of chef Scott Conant located in the Meatpacking district of New York. If the name sounds familiar, you've probably seen him on Food Network on Chopped or 24 Hour Restaurant Battle.  I actually tried to go to this restaurant in Miami at the Fountainebleau, but the reservations were all booked up! That was a clear indicator that this is a restaurant that I needed to try. I'm glad I finally got to dine here because the food was well worth the wait. 

Like most high-end restaurants, they start off the evening with a gourmet basket of bread. However, what was notable about this bread was that it was stuffed with sausage  and or salami. They pair the bread with an assortment of butter, olive oil, and this chunky tomato paste dip that's amazing. For the primi piatti, you have to get the Polenta. It is creamy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, with TRUFFLED mushrooms.  As you know by my blog name, I love anything with truffles! Why are they so good?! The Polenta and the Seared Sea Scallops were my favorite. The Scallops were cooked perfectly and explodes in your mouth with flavor.  

For the pasta, if you're looking for something sweet, the Pumpkin Consonsei is your dish. Its stuffed with pumpkin and ricotta, and drizzled with amaretto. In my opinion, it can also double as a dessert. But if youre looking for savory, I'd recommend the next 2 dishes in the Piatti section.

For Carne, the server recommended the Veal Loin. It's a refined version of osso buco without the bone. The outside is herb-crusted, but the meat inside is tender. If youre looking for seafood, the Black Cod is an amazing piece of fish and has been compared to Nobu grade, by the way of Naples. The caramelized fennel and slow roasted tomatoes its paired with is harmonious to the flavor. 

For Dolci, the Chocolate cake is a classic. It's a mini molten lava cake with salted gelato. Enough said - its sweet, its salty and it will be devoured in 4 seconds. The Sweet Potato Bombolini was good and had a hint of orange essence. If you like donuts, you will like this. However, my favorite dessert was the Coconut Panna Cotta. Panna Cotta is made by mixing cream, milk, sugar, and gelatin and letting it cool. The guava sauce adds a uniqueness to the coconut flavor that makes it a winning pairing.

The ambiance is great. Its dimly lit, its intimate, and I guess you kind of do feel like you're in a "little shoe."  Overhead is a retractable glass ceiling that I imagine is divine in the summertime and the horizontal mirrors held up by luggage straps along the walls gives the place a whimsical factor. Overall - a great experience.

355 West 14th Street New York, NY 10014.  (212) 691-0555

Sausage Bread and Tomato Dip Appetizer

Creamy Polenta - fricassee of truffled mushrooms

Seared Sea Scallops - sunchoke, apple and black trumpet mushrooms 

Pumpkin Casonsei - ricotta and amaretti

Veal Loin - gremolata crust, saffron semolina and bone marrow

Black Cod - caramelized fennel and concentrated tomatoes

Sweet Potato Bombolini - orange blossom cream, honey-sesame crumble and espresso gelato

Chocolate Cake -  salted caramel gelato and chocolate butterscotch

Coconut Panna Cotta -  guava sauce and caramelized pineapple