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.

Mediterranean Ham Pasta

Ingredients

* 2 servings of your choice of pasta (I used a Ukrainian egg pasta here)
* 1 1/2 thick slice from a cured smoked ham, fat and all, cubed into 1/2" cubes
* 1/2 cup assorted pitted olives, chopped
* 1/4 cup olive tampenade
* 1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
* 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, not sliced
* 1/2 cup frozen peas
* Parmesan cheese for garnish
* 3 cloves garlic - chopped
* 1/4 cup white wine
* 1/4 cup (approx) pasta water reserved from making pasta
* Optional parsley for garnish
* Plain EVOO for saute
* Single source Italian or Greek EVOO for dressing



Preparation:

Prep pasta:
1) Prepare pasta in salted water, should be a little bit firmer than al dente - time varies by pasta type
2) Drain water into a bowl, so that you can use it later, when draining pasta. Set pasta aside in a cool container so it doesn't continue to cook
3) If you are experienced with pasta you can do this while sauteing the other ingredients. If not prepare it ahead of time.

1) Heat 2 tbsp plain EVOO in a cast iron skillet till almost smoking
2) Add garlic and ham, continually stir fry until the fat from the ham starts to gel and the ham starts to brown.  Ham is ALREADY COOKED so don't overdo this step.
3) Once ham is sizzling away add the olives, Tampenade, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes
4) Saute for a few minutes in the hot oil and fat from the ham, stirring constantly until you can smell the olives cooking.
5) Just before ready to add pasta add salt and pepper to taste, add frozen peas.  If using fresh peas add them a little earlier
6) Add 1/4 cup white wine and reduce for a couple minutes and 1/4 cup pasta water and bring to a boil.
7) Add pasta to bring up to temp and warm through, pasta should be al dente
8) Transfer immediately to a bowl and pour 2-3 tblsp of high-end EVOO and mix thoroughly
9) Serve while hot, grate parmesan over top to taste.  If you want garnish with whole parsley.

Goes well with an Italian White Wine or a Semi-Sweet Reisling.