"May I Explain the Special Tonight?"
Last night I threw together a dish that was so delicious I made it again tonight just so I could take note of the proportions and pass it on here (not to mention enjoy it a second time). This is a fairly typical improvised dinner for me in that it incorporates the vegetable into it -- gone are the days when I would have an entree, a vegetable, and what what some restaurant waitrons might call a "starch." But it's atypical in that I would happily and unembarrassedly serve it to guests. Maybe you someday?
I was going to make this with walnuts, but I didn't have any. An archaeological dig in my freezer turned up pine nuts instead, and I think it's even better with them.
A note on frozen peas: I don't cook mine anywhere near as long as the directions say. For instance, this bag said to microwave them with a little water for 6 to 8 minutes. I did only a minute and a half, and they were plenty cooked enough for my taste. I've found that briefly running them through the food processor makes them adhere very well to pasta and brings out their flavor more.
This could be made with a more pungent, crumbly blue cheese, but I found that the soft, mild Saga blue -- which I happened to pick up on a lark, not even really remembering what it was like -- was perfect.
Amounts are approximate. I like a relative lot of everything in a dish like this; vary the quantities according to your taste.
Saga Blue and Green Pea Pasta
(Makes a plentiful single portion)
1/4 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine (I used Barilla linguine fini, very thin linguine)
2-3 ounces Saga blue cheese
2/3 cup frozen petite peas
1/8-1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a small saute pan over medium heat, tossing frequently, until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Cut cheese into small pieces, including the edible rind. Cook peas in microwave or on stove for a little less than recommended time (or a lot less if you're like me), until just tender, and drain; the peas should retain a bright green color. In a food processor, quickly pulse the peas 6 to 8 times so they are roughly chopped, not pureed. When pasta is done, drain it and place it in a large bowl. Add pine nuts, cheese, peas, olive oil, a generous grating of pepper, and salt to taste. Toss thoroughly.
***
For dessert tonight I had Safeway Select fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt (the only kind of "ice cream" I buy; it's really good) with warm homemade chocolate sauce and salty peanuts. Just about the perfect meal -- and the perfect fuel for two-stepping later.
I was going to make this with walnuts, but I didn't have any. An archaeological dig in my freezer turned up pine nuts instead, and I think it's even better with them.
A note on frozen peas: I don't cook mine anywhere near as long as the directions say. For instance, this bag said to microwave them with a little water for 6 to 8 minutes. I did only a minute and a half, and they were plenty cooked enough for my taste. I've found that briefly running them through the food processor makes them adhere very well to pasta and brings out their flavor more.
This could be made with a more pungent, crumbly blue cheese, but I found that the soft, mild Saga blue -- which I happened to pick up on a lark, not even really remembering what it was like -- was perfect.
Amounts are approximate. I like a relative lot of everything in a dish like this; vary the quantities according to your taste.
Saga Blue and Green Pea Pasta
(Makes a plentiful single portion)
1/4 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine (I used Barilla linguine fini, very thin linguine)
2-3 ounces Saga blue cheese
2/3 cup frozen petite peas
1/8-1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a small saute pan over medium heat, tossing frequently, until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Cut cheese into small pieces, including the edible rind. Cook peas in microwave or on stove for a little less than recommended time (or a lot less if you're like me), until just tender, and drain; the peas should retain a bright green color. In a food processor, quickly pulse the peas 6 to 8 times so they are roughly chopped, not pureed. When pasta is done, drain it and place it in a large bowl. Add pine nuts, cheese, peas, olive oil, a generous grating of pepper, and salt to taste. Toss thoroughly.
***
For dessert tonight I had Safeway Select fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt (the only kind of "ice cream" I buy; it's really good) with warm homemade chocolate sauce and salty peanuts. Just about the perfect meal -- and the perfect fuel for two-stepping later.
posted by Billy at 6:10 PM
2 Comments:
sounds delish. i find that simple is best with pasta. i'd probably replace the peas with broccoli or another vegetable that i like better.
and then i'd eat a pint of ben & jerry's - pistachio, peanut butter peanut butter cup, heath bar crunch vanilla or coffee, chunky monkey. it's always torture trying to decide.
Put those sweet little green veggies in the food processor?!? So I guess what you're saying is Visualize Whirled Peas.
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