4 to 6 servings
This might be the Italian answer to Seafood Newberg: chunks of crab and clams in a rich cream sauce tossed with wide noodles. If you really like clams, it’s worth checking to see if you can buy fresh chopped cooked clams at your fish market; the pieces tend to be a little bigger and meatier, with a more subtle, briny flavor than those in cans. The cream sauce is tinted a pretty pink from the tomatoes.
1 pound pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces lump crabmeat (about 1½ cups), picked over for bits of shell and cartilage
1 (6.5-ounce) can chopped clams, drained
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh chives (about ½ bunch)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken.
Add the crab, clams, and tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss. If necessary, add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water at a time to create a more luscious sauce. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
2 servings
If you’re cooking for someone special, you won’t find many dishes more romantic than this one. It looks sophisticated, tastes rich, and makes a real statement. It’s one of my standbys when I want to make a cozy dinner for me and my husband.
4 thin slices prosciutto
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
12 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
¾ cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
¾ cup champagne
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the prosciutto slices on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until the prosciutto slices are almost completely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. The slices will crisp up even more as they cool. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the broth. Blanch the asparagus in the chicken broth for 2 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken broth at a low simmer.
In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the champagne and simmer until the champagne has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed by the rice, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat.
Gently stir in the asparagus, the remaining tablespoon of butter, the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto into smaller pieces over the risotto.
Reimagining Risotto
Though not a pasta, risotto is similar in how and when it is cooked and served. It is one of those dishes that just about everyone loves, and because it is rather labor intensive, it shows you’ve gone to some effort. (For that reason, it’s not the best choice for a large gathering; save it for an intimate dinner with someone special or a small group.)
The creamy, comforting texture of Arborio and other short-grain rices presents the perfect neutral canvas for showcasing luxurious ingredients like lobster or truffles, and it’s also a dish that welcomes improvisation and creativity. The only true given in a risotto recipe is the rice; you can vary the liquid and flavors almost infinitely. Chicken stock is the liquid most typically used in risotto, but beef, fish, or vegetable stocks all work perfectly as well. Beyond stocks, you can make your risotto with red or white wine or fruit juices, such as pomegranate, orange, or lemon, or tomato juice, all depending on what other ingredients you will be adding. The technique is the same no matter what liquid or flavorings you add; just watch the risotto carefully to prevent scorching or sticking if you are using ingredients that contain sugar (including dairy products). Here are a few fun combinations to get your imagination flowing:
Red Wine Risotto with Peas:
The rice takes on the wine’s deep red color.
Chocolate Risotto:
Cook the rice with milk, stirring in sugar, chopped hazelnuts, chocolate chips, raisins, and brandy for the last five minutes of cooking.
Cinnamon Peach Risotto:
Replace the stock with heavy cream, and flavor with ground cinnamon, sliced peaches, and brandy.
Lemon Pomegranate Risotto:
Use pomegranate juice as your liquid, and flavor with lemon zest at the end.
Risotto with Gorgonzola:
Use a combination of heavy cream and stock, and stir in crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and cranberries before serving.
Surf and Turf Risotto:
Prepare the rice with seafood or fish stock; just before serving, add sliced smoked sausage, ham, cooked shrimp, and sautéed mushrooms to warm through.
Strawberry Risotto:
Replace the stock with orange juice, and garnish with sliced strawberries and chopped mint.
4 servings
This is a decadent dish that is very popular with my family at Christmastime, when pasta with seafood is a holiday tradition for Italians. For others, though, it’s a reminder of summers on the Cape or in the Hamptons. Whatever memories it may conjure for you, we can all probably agree that it is a rich, sophisticated dish that puts a smile on the face of anyone who tastes it.
1 pound linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup Cognac
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
Tail and claw meat from 2 cooked 1½-pound lobsters, tail meat cubed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the Cognac, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, lobster, parsley, and chopped basil. Cook until the lobster meat and tomatoes are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the linguine to the pot and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. Transfer into individual pasta bowls, reserving one claw for each bowl. Place the claw on top of the pasta and place a basil sprig next to it. Serve immediately.
4 to 6 servings (about 40 agnolotti)
Creamed corn has never been so sophisticated! This delicate, creamy filling deserves the equally subtle flavor of good, fresh pasta, so make this some-time when you are inspired to make your own pasta, or if you find a source for really fresh, homemade pasta sheets.
Corn Agnolotti
¼ cup cornmeal
2 (14.75-ounce) cans creamed corn, drained well
½ cup mascarpone cheese (4 ounces)
¼ cup soft fresh goat cheese (2 ounces)
½ teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, for egg wash
Tarragon Butter
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup corn kernels (fresh or canned)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle a baking sheet with some of the cornmeal and set aside. Cut the ball of pasta dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rectangle about the size of a deck of cards. Cover the dough with plastic wrap while you are working. Roll a rectangle of dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine 3 times, until it is smooth. Continue rolling it through, decreasing the setting each time until you have reached the thinnest setting. Sprinkle the sheet lightly with cornmeal, gently fold it, and set it on the cornmeal-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Continue rolling out the rest of the pasta until all 8 pieces have been rolled out.
In a medium bowl, mix together the drained creamed corn, mascarpone cheese, goat cheese, tarragon, and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water.
To form the agnolotti, place a sheet of pasta on a dry work surface. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire sheet of fresh pasta with the egg wash. Place rounded teaspoons (about 1 ounce) of the corn filling on the pasta sheet, about 2 inches apart. Carefully place another sheet of pasta over the mounds, smoothing out any air pockets and firmly sealing the pasta around the filling. Using a scalloped pasta cutter (or a sharp knife), cut the pasta into small squares. Transfer the agnolotti to the cornmeal-lined baking sheet. Continue forming the remaining agnolotti.
To serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. While the pasta cooks, gently mix together all the tarragon butter ingredients in a medium serving bowl. Drain the pasta, using a large mesh strainer or slotted spoon, and transfer them to the serving bowl with the tarragon butter. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
