Roasted Red Pepper Sauce- With Pasta

I like pasta. Hold up. Rewind, I LOVE pasta. Call it an indoctrination from childhood that completely took hold of my taste buds. Since I enjoy eating this multi-shaped, multi-useful, molto delicious carb I’m always looking for new sauces, toppings or items to toss into my favorite comfort food.

Oodles of years ago during my crazy life in the world of television production, I needed quick and easy meals to make. Call it a self fulfilling prophecy but pasta makes for quick and easy meals. Besides a variety of pasta shapes, I always made sure to keep my pantry stocked with items that I could quickly toss into the pasta. Peas, beans, canned tomatoes, capers, anchovies were among the regulars, and jars of roasted red peppers were also their constant companion. When push came to shove, I would boil pasta and then without even sautéing them in garlic and oil I would just throw them on top, add cheese and happily consume. Sounds pathetic, but on particularly long work days even taking that extra step to cook the topping was seemingly too long. But they did their job, and given the chance, roasted peppers can be much more useful and handy. So take my word, keep them stocked in your pantry as a must have staple.

That’s the way I roll. I buy them. My mom, on the other hand, always roasted her own red peppers, and then placed in plastic bags into the freezer. Let me tell you, they were delicious. I literally can still smell their sweet aromas as I ponder her peeling off the skins. But not even that extraordinary olfactory experience arms me with the patience to make them myself. There are some homemade foods I don’t mind taking the time and effort to make. And there are others I am willing to concede buying a store bought version. I will admit that homemade roasted peppers are the bomb, still I’m not motivated. I take the easy way out. (Note: It is funny how some tasks seem too much for one person while for another it’s not problem at all. I get it now when I say something is easy for me it might not be that easy for someone else, no matter how easy I think it is.)

Dreaming of my mom’s peppers made me think of the dip I made a while back using roasted red peppers, walnuts and goat cheese. I featured it in a post entitled: 3 Dips a Dipping. It dawned on me that that combo could create a creamy, no cook sauce that would melt into a big bowl of steaming hot pasta. And even though the dip has walnuts, I think the texture will be great. I do you one further. Toast some extra nuts to sprinkle on top of the pasta to amp up the crunch and bring another level of nutty flavor to the dish. Then I thought that this dish might need some extra zing. So, I made a gremolata to finish it off. The parsley, lemon and garlic are sure to add that fresh zip to the creaminess of the sauce. Now you have had a sneak peak into how my little brain conjures up dishes that my tummy approves. So let’s get started because I’m hungry now.

Roasted Pepper Sauce Pasta set up

 

Ingredients

1 c marinated roasted red peppers
1 1/3 c goat cheese
2/3 c walnuts, roasted
1 lb. pasta
1/2- 1 c pasta water reserved
Olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 - 1/2 t red pepper flakes, to your taste

Gremolata (optional)
Remaining Walnuts, chopped
3 T parsley, minced
1/4 t garlic, grated or crushed
1/2 t lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
3 T olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Roasted pepper, goat cheese, walnuts

Instructions

  1. Toast the walnuts in a pan over low heat or on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn them. Set aside to cool.

Roasting any nuts releases the oils and brings out their nutty flavor.

2. Boil your favorite pasta. (I think this dish works best with a shape that the sauce can find its way into nooks and crannies like rigatoni, bow tie or fusilli. I had Papparedelle on hand, so used that.)

3. In a food processor, buzz up the walnuts to a chunky consistency. You don’t want a fine grind. (Remember to reserved the remaining nuts to sprinkle on top.) Remove them from the blender and set aside, Of course, you can rough chop them with a knife.

4. Add the roasted peppers, goat cheese, salt and red pepper flakes. You can add splash of olive oil until you get a paste.

Roasted peppers and goat cheese.

You want a creamy consistency to the roasted pepper/goat cheese mixture.

5. Add the walnuts back in and pulse only until combined or simply stir them in.

6. Meanwhile, chop up the parsley, walnuts, grate the garlic, lemon zest and combine together with lemon juice and olive oil to make the gremolata.

parsely, lemon, walnuts, garlic

7. Once the pasta is done, drain making sure to reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Place the pasta back in the pot and add the sauce and gently fold together. Add the pasta water as needed to help emulsify the mixture. Or you can put the sauce in the bowl, whisk in the pasta water and then toss the pasta.

Ready all your elements to toss together.

Thin out the roasted red pepper sauce by whisking in pasta water. Add as much or as little to your liking.

8. If you aren’t into the gremolata idea, plate and top with the toasted walnuts.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta topped with walnuts.

But if you want to add a little extra ‘sum-ting sum-ting’, dollop the gremolata on top as well. I love it both ways, but will attest that the garlic lemony-ness of the gremolata adds a lovely zing that cuts through the creamy sauce.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta topped with parsley, garlic, lemon, walnut gremolata.

Yup, that simple. A no cook sauce that is creamy and delicious, and also packs some crunch.

The best part about this is that you can make the Roasted Red Pepper as a dip and then use the leftovers for pasta. Or the reverse. Either way, you get twice the benefit.

Postscript: After making all that hubbaloo about how roasting peppers from scratch was too much work, I decided to take it on. I have a very competitive nature and one that thrives on a challenge. So, of course I had to roast my own peppers. WHAT??? Plus, how could I go on and on about the aroma and not tackle the task myself. But true to form it was just as time consuming, and a labor of love process as I had imagined. But that aroma was unmatched. That said, not sure I will repeat that task again, but at least I have a recent try under my belt. Maybe my mom will just give me some of hers next time.

 

Rose-colored Salad with Roasted Beets & Goat Cheese

Years ago I happened upon the stunning pink lettuces known as Millennial Pink or Radicchio La Rosa del Veneto. Back then I created a Pretty in Pink Salad for Easter dinner that had a fair amount of ingredients. After talking to some readers recently, I found out that they wanted simpler recipes* so I decided to create a scaled down version of that salad and test it out for small dinner party. And since it’s almost Easter again, I figured that this edition of the pink salad might be an easier one to pull off for your Easter holiday meal.

*Side note: Given this valuable feedback (which I greatly appreciate) I will be posting some super easy, weeknight meals. It didn’t occur to me to provide simpler meals as I figured they might seem like obvious combos or too simple to warrant a post. But I have since learned that they are helpful. More to come soon.

Back to rose colored lettuces.

There is something about the color of these leaves that grabs me every time. The look and feel is soft and delicate. It makes me feel like I should be hosting an elegant tea party with fussy floral plates. Since the flavor is quite subtle, pairing it with the sturdier structure and definitively more bitter tones of radicchio creates a nice balance. I will admit that these lettuces are not easy to find. Traditional grocery stores probably will not carry them. Since they are from the radicchio family, Italian Specialty markets carry them, which is where I buy mine.

As I mentioned this was being tested out for a dinner party with our friends, Tecla and Scott, up at our country house. Since I knew Juancarlos and I had plans most of the day before their arrival, prep was key in being able to get the meal to the table without too much fuss. This turned out to be a great make ahead, and assemble later salad.

The Main Ingredients: Pink Lettuce, Radicchio, Beets, Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Serving 4
4 medium Red Beets (I figured 1 beet/person)
1 head of Pink Lettuce
1 head Radicchio
1 small shallot
1/2 tsp each of Thyme
1/4 tsp each of Salt & Pepper
Oil
Goat Cheese, I used about 2 tbsp/person

Dressing
1/2 c Oil
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Whole grain Mustard
3-4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt, Pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel and cut the beets into small chunks. I recommend wearing gloves when preparing beets as they easily stain hands, clothes and anything they touch.

  2. In a bowl, combine the dry spices and oil, whisk and add the beets to coat.

3. Place the beets on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees until lightly browned and tender. Set aside. (You can make these a day ahead and store in container in the fridge.)

4. Cut 1/2” thick rounds off the end of the radicchio and secure with a toothpick. Chop the remaining radicchio into shreds. (If you are preparing this ahead of time, place in a container with a dry paper towel on top, or wrap with paper towel and place in plastic bag until time of assembly)

Side note: It occurred to me that it would be easier to place the toothpicks into the radicchio first, then cut rounds. Work smarter.

Beautiful long radicchio

Radicchio slices, ready to be skewered

Place the toothpick through the middle to hold the leaves together.

5. While the beets are roasting, grill the radicchio rounds in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper until charred and softened. (If making ahead, let cool, then store in fridge in a sealed container.)

Grill until just browned and softened.

6. Wash and separate the outer leaves of the pink lettuces to find ones that can be used for the cups to hold the salad, and place them on individual plates. Chop the remaining lettuce and radicchio for salad base.

The size of this lettuce are ideal for lettuce cups.

Chop the rest for the ‘meat’ of the salad.

7. Thinly slice the shallots.

8. To make the dressing, simply whisk together all the ingredients.

9. To assemble, place the pink leaf on the plate, then fill with the lettuces and the beets. Place the grilled radicchio on the plate. Top with goat cheese and sprinkle the shallots on top and drizzle with dressing.

Note: This can be a hot/cold salad as well. Simply warm the beets and radicchio right before assembly.

I love using the larger leaves as a cup to hold the salad.

A colorful mix to start the meal.

This salad was enjoyed by all, as there was not a single leftover on the plates.

Here are just some of the other dishes we served. Since this was my first real dinner party at our country house, I was getting my entertaining feet wet and wasn’t able to photograph the full menu.

You know me, I always set a table, even in the country. I brought the floral cloth and napkins from our home and then used the placemats and dish & glassware from the country house. As you can see, this is a simple table set up. It doesn’t have to be all decked out to feel purposeful.

Simple table setting

I used a remnant material to add some color and fun to the table. It doesn’t have to be all jazzed up, just a tad of effort to make it feel special.

Another wonderful evening with our friends… country entertaining that warms my heart.

Tecla and Scott. The best dinner guests.

 

Fish & Bean Stew

Way, way back BP (Before Pandemic), when entertaining and having friends over was a common occurrence, we hosted a dinner party for our friends on Monday night. I know what you are thinking… entertaining on a school night? Indeed we did. Since it was literally the only date we all could find available we threw caution to the wind and made it happen. It was late May and we had been experiencing cooler summer weather than normal so the menu included my Fish & Bean Soup. But as typical with Mother Nature, she rules. When she flipped the weather switch from unusually cool to suddenly warm, it was she who now dictated the menu. Soup did not seem like such a great idea anymore.

Problem was, I had already purchased all the seafood, (shrimp, calamari and monkfish), and I didn’t want them to go to waste. A tiny switch-aroo was in order. Take it from a soup to a stew. Sure, you’re saying ‘How is that different? It’s still warm.’ First, let me remind you that I did say ‘tiny’ switch-aroo. I, and our guests, can attest that that slight alteration made all the difference in a dish that was originally going to be too hot, to just right.

3fishes.jpg

Monkfish, shrimp and calamari from the original stew dish.

Well, it’s now November and the reverse weather pattern has occurred. It’s unseasonably warm but it’s still Fall. We were again hosting with another set of friends at our upstate country house and this stew idea seemed perfect. Plus I’ve had this blog post in a holding pattern waiting to make its debut since 2019. It was high time that it graced our bowls again. I couldn’t find calamari or monkfish for some odd reason. But that is the beauty of this dish, you can use different combos of fish; shrimp, calamari, monkfish, scallops, cod, mussels, clams. They all work.

This recipe is similar to the soup with some revisions, mainly how you cook it.

Ingredients

Makes 4 generous servings as a first course or 8 appetizer bowls
*Note: you can adjust the amount fish you use, adding more if you want this to be a main dish

2 scallions, sliced (Use 1 for beans, 1 for fish marinade)
1 med onion, chopped (1 heaping cup)
1 large carrot, diced (1 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (1 heaping cup)
2 garlic cloves, thin slice (beans)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (fish)
2 32 oz cans Cannellini beans
12 shrimp, cleaned & deveined (12-14 oz)
10-12 oz cod, cut into chunks
10-12 oz. Sea scallops
Red pepper flakes to your taste
Magic 3 (Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper)
1-2 T Butter
1/4c White wine
Parsley to finish

Instructions

1. Peel and devein shrimp. Wash and thoroughly dry all the fish. I cut the cod into bite size pieces but left the shrimp whole. You can chose to cut the shrimp as well.

It’s important to always wash and thoroughly dry the fish, or any protein for that matter.

2. Marinate the shrimp, cod, scallops with scallion slices, crushed garlic, 1/4 t red pepper flakes, 3/4 t salt, 1/2 t black pepper and 2-3 T oil. Refrigerator while you cook the bean portion.

Marinated Fish with scallions, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and olive oil.

3. Chop and dice all your vegetables.

Mise en place: everything ready and in its place Celery, carrots, onions, scallions and garlic

4. Sauté the onions, scallions, carrots, celery for 10 -12 minutes then add the garlic slices, season with 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, 1/4 t red pepper flakes and cook another 2-3 minutes until soft and tender.

Sauté until soft then add the garlic so it doesn’t burn

5. Add the beans with some of their aguafaba juice and let simmer for 10 minutes until flavors meld. Taste for seasonings and add accordingly.

Just a luscious pot of yum

6. While the beans are cooking, sauté the fish individually (shrimp, then cod, then scallops last) in a cast iron pan or skillet. Once each batch is cooked place them on a plate until you are ready to plate.

High heat develops a nice crust on the shrimp. You only need to cook them 1-2 minutes per side

Seared cod pieces

Seared scallops

7. In the same hot pan, sauté any remaining scallions and garlic from the marinade adding a bit more oil, a pat or two of butter. Once softened then add a few splashes of white wine to deglaze the pan. Reserve this au jus to drizzle over the finished plate.

Hearty Fish & Bean Stew

You can either plate it family style using one big platter with beans on the bottom and fish stacked on top. Or individually plate it as I did, spooning the beans then placing the fish on top of each bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle that delicious, concentrated jus over top.

We enjoyed a few appetizers first. Then had the Fish & Stew as a starter. Followed by Grilled Pluma (Iberico Pork), Paella Rice with roasted garlic oil, Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Salad and Sautéed Broccoli Rabe.

A scaled down cheese platter along with French Breakfast Radishes and Fennel with Coarse Sea Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil & Basil

We had such a lovely, leisurely afternoon lunch with our dear friends, Tecla and Scott. We feel blessed to have them in our lives, and willing to make the drive to see our Airbnb home.
(If you are interested in renting our home in upstate NY, check it out on Airbnb
The Cozy, Country Cape House

This is such a hearty and flavorful starter. If you don’t have any plans to host a small dinner party, use this dish as a main course and maybe add some roasted potatoes or rice as a side along with a salad and vegetable As I said, this might be a warm plate, and naturally perfect for winter weather but it’s not too hot for a cool summer’s night meal or warm November afternoon al fresco.