The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (85 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 POUND OF PASTA
This sauce is best served with any string or ribbon-type pasta except angel hair.
2 | yellow bell peppers, prepared following |
2 | red bell peppers, preparedfollowing |
6 | tablespoons olive oil |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | pound pasta |
1.
Adjust oven rack 2¹⁄
2
to 3¹⁄
2
inches from broiler element and heat broiler. If necessary, set upside-down rimmed baking sheet on oven rack to elevate pan.
2.
Spread bell peppers out over aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and broil until skin is charred and puffed but flesh is still firm, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through cooking.
3.
Transfer bell peppers to medium bowl, cover with foil, and let steam until skin peels off easily, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel and discard skin and chop peppers fine.
4.
Combine peppers with oil and garlic in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside to let flavors meld, at least 30 minutes.
5.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
SERVES 4
To peel the tomatoes, dunk the cored tomatoes in a pot of boiling water until the skins split and begin to curl around the cored area, about 15 to 30 seconds; transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water, then peel off the skins with your fingers. This ratatouille-like sauce is best served with hearty wheat pasta or egg noodles
5 | tablespoons olive oil |
1 | red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄ |
2 | large shallots, minced |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh mint |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried |
2 | large garlic cloves, minced |
2 | teaspoons green peppercorns, cracked |
2 | zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced ¹⁄ |
2 | tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and sliced thin |
1 | pound pasta |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and shallots and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in mint, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes and cook until zucchini are softened and tomatoes release their juices and thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 3 tablespoons oil.
2.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For roasted vegetable pasta with sweet and complex flavor, we chose vegetables that could stand up to the high heat of the oven—cauliflower, broccoli, and mushrooms. We sliced the vegetables to maximize the surface area available for browning and tossed them with oil, salt, pepper, and a little sugar to jump-start caramelization. We roasted the vegetables on a preheated baking sheet to cut cooking time and boost browning. For a sauce that would unite the components of our dish, we liked the earthy sweetness of a roasted garlic vinaigrette.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Prepare the cauliflower for roasting after you put the garlic in the oven; this way, both should finish roasting at about the same time.
2 | garlic heads |
6 | tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | head cauliflower (2 pounds) |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon sugar |
1 | pound fusilli, campanelle, or orecchiette |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
2 | tablespoons lemon juice, plus extra as needed |
2 | ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
¹⁄ | cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse |
1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.
2.
Remove outer papery skins from garlic, then cut top quarter off heads and discard. Place garlic heads, cut side up, in center of 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Drizzle ¹⁄
2
teaspoon oil over each head and wrap securely. Place packet on oven rack and roast until garlic is very tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer packet to cutting board and cool for 10 minutes, then unwrap garlic and gently squeeze to remove cloves from skin. Transfer cloves to small bowl and mash with fork until smooth.
3.
While garlic is roasting, trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom. Cut head from pole to pole into 8 equal wedges. Place cauliflower in large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper, and sugar.
4.
Remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer cauliflower to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing cut sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until cauliflower is well browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to cutting board, cool slightly, then cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch pieces.
5.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Stir pepper flakes and lemon juice into mashed garlic, then slowly whisk in remaining ¹⁄
4
cup oil.
6.
Add chopped cauliflower, garlic sauce, ¹⁄
2
cup Parmesan, parsley, and ¹⁄
4
cup cooking water and toss to combine. Add remaining cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual portions with walnuts and passing remaining ¹⁄
2
cup Parmesan separately.
Cut 1¹⁄
2
pounds broccoli at juncture of crowns and stalks; remove outer peel from stalks. Cut stalks into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into ¹⁄
2
-inch-thick pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3 to 4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Substitute prepared broccoli for cauliflower and reduce roasting time in step 4 to 10 to 15 minutes. Substitute ¹⁄
4
cup chopped fresh basil for parsley, grated Manchego cheese for Parmesan, and toasted slivered almonds for walnuts.
Remove and discard stems and gills of 8 large portobello mushrooms and slice caps ³⁄
4
inch thick. Substitute prepared mushrooms for cauliflower and flip mushrooms halfway through cooking in step 4. Substitute 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary for parsley, grated Pecorino Romano cheese for Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts for walnuts.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Butternut squash usually gets camouflaged inside ravioli, but we wanted to bump up its flavor and bring it out of hiding. To amplify butternut squash’s mild flavor enough so that it could be tossed with pasta, we cooked sage in bacon fat, then sautéed the squash in the fat, infusing it with flavor while caramelizing it. Adding a bit of chicken broth and braising the squash for a few minutes transformed it into a sauce that was not only flavorful but also clung well to the pasta. Lemon juice added brightness to the sauce, Parmesan cheese gave it a layer of salty richness, and toasted sliced almonds provided some welcome crunch.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Don’t be tempted to use dried sage in this recipe.
4 | slices bacon, halved lengthwise and cut into ¹⁄ |
8 | large fresh sage leaves, plus 1 tablespoon minced |
Olive oil | |
2 | pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
6 | scallions, sliced thin |
1 | teaspoon sugar |
³⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
Salt | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground nutmeg |
2 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | pound penne or other short, tubular pasta |
2 | tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving |
4 | teaspoons lemon juice |
¹⁄ | cup sliced almonds, toasted |
1.
Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add whole sage leaves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl, reserving fat and bacon mixture separately.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons reserved fat (adding olive oil if necessary) in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add squash and cook, without stirring, until beginning to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Add butter and allow to melt, about 30 seconds. Add scallions, sugar, pepper, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and minced sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth, bring to simmer, and cook until squash is tender, 1 to 3 minutes.
3.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
4.
Add squash mixture, Parmesan, lemon juice, and reserved bacon mixture to pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve, passing almonds and Parmesan separately.