Lee's Vegetable Emmer Pasta

Vegetable Emmer Pasta

 

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic scapes sliced thinly
• Yellow Pepper, cut into 1/2" squares.
• 2 Tomatoes cut into 1/2" chunks
• 2 cups mini portabella mushroom caps, cut into thick slices.
• 1 Cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
• Dried Greek oregano
• Dried Greek Sage
• Fresh Thyme
• Fresh Coriander
• Fresh Parsley
• Olive oil
• Lemon Olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 15 oz can san marzano tomatoes, whole
• 1 can tomato paste
• Sea Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cups dry Emmer Pasta per serving.  Sauce stores well.

Put water on to boil with salt for Pasta.

In a large cast iron skillet with deep sides (I use a 10) Saute the spices except the coriander and parsley, including the scapes in EVOO till fragrant. Add pepper and mushrooms and sauté till the mushrooms are brown and the peppers start to get a dark char on the outside (not burned, just brown). Stir constantly. Once the veggies are ready add the wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the lemon olive oil and mix thoroughly to coat. Put heat on medium (not low) and simmer till mostly reduced and the gravy starts to get thick. Add the San Marzano Tomatoes, the peas and the tomato chunks to the gravy and roughly chop the San Marzanos with the edge of your spatula. Add the tomato paste at this time too. Stir to mix thoroughly it should be thick and chunky. If too thick add a few tablespoons of chicken stock to the water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer, but the mixture should still be bubbling.

Once all is thoroughly mixed, add the emmer pasta to the water, and cook both the pasta and sauce for about 8-10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir the pasta occasionally and mix the sauce to be sure it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom. If the sauce become to thick you can add in some of the pasta water a spoonful or two - but the sauce SHOULD be nice and thick and chunky. Add the parsley just before serving.  You can add salt pepper and other spices to taste.  Note that it takes very little red pepper to zip it up.  I purposefully didn't put amounts on the spice ingredients - make it to taste.

Drain the al dente pasta and add a 1/2 tsp of the lemon olive oil to the pasta mixing thoroughly. Serve pasta covered with sauce and parmesan cheese and a nice fresh salad.