Pasta and Bacon Salad

I recently brought this wonderful summer salad to a neighborhood barbecue, our first since moving to our new home. The salad fit in well with lots of other delicious dishes. Lots of good cooks here!

No ordinary pasta salad, this. Creamy and delicious, it can be made ahead, and leftovers—if there are any—last a good while. Serve as a side dish or a main course salad. Ingredient amounts aren't critical, so feel free to adjust them to your taste.

PASTA and BACON SALAD

½-¾ lb. bacon slices
12 oz. elbow macaroni, fusilli, or other bite-sized pasta
2 cups mayonnaise
½ cup (or more) buttermilk
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. sugar
1 10-16 oz. bag of frozen peas, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

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1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat or in microwave until crisp, turning occasionally. Transfer to paper towels and cool. Coarsely chop bacon.

2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse under cold water and drain well.

3. Make dressing by whisking the mayonnaise, ½ cup of buttermilk, lemon juice, mustard, and sugar in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Fold pasta, peas, and bacon into dressing and serve. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Toss with more buttermilk if dry. Let stand 1 hour before continuing.)

Trofie with Spinach, Garlic, and Shrimp

Trofie

Our writers' group revisited an old favorite tonight, a wonderful Italian casserole dish for seafood and pasta lovers. Vegetarians can omit the shrimp. Vegans can omit both shrimp and cheese, or serve Veggie cheese on the side. All variations are scrumptious.

Trofie, a thin, squiggly Ligurian pasta with tapered ends, is traditionally served with pesto sauce. It's perfect in this dish, as the spinach would become entangled in longer pastas like linguine. Don't let all the steps discourage you. This one is delicious!

TROFIE WITH SPINACH, GARLIC, and SHRIMP

Bread Crumb Topping
8 Tbs. fresh bread crumbs                     3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
3-4 garlic cloves                                      2 tsps. olive oil
3 tsps. grated Parmesan Reggiano        Salt and pepper

Pasta
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil                 ¾ lb. trofie or other small pasta
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced           1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes        ¼ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
10 oz. fresh spinach,                               1 lb. raw jumbo shrimp
        stemmed and chopped *                2-3 Tbs. dry white wine

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1. Make fresh breadcrumbs by dropping fresh or day old bread in the food processor with garlic cloves. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and reserve.

2. In a large pasta pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add salt. Preheat the broiler.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over a low flame. Slowly cook the garlic slivers until they turn a light golden brown. Remove garlic slivers with a slotted spoon and discard.

4. Add red pepper flakes to the oil. Cook 30 seconds. Toss spinach in the oil. Add wine and cook until limp, turning often with tongs or a kitchen fork. Remove pan from  heat and reserve until pasta is done.

5. Plunge the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Just before draining the pasta, ladle 1 cup of cooking water into the spinach and oil and place the pan over moderate heat. Drain pasta and add to the pan with the spinach and oil. Sprinkle the cheese directly onto the pasta and toss well. Transfer pasta to an ovenproof serving platter and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix. Broil until the crumbs are golden brown and serve immediately.
 
* Frozen chopped spinach, thawed before adding, works well. Decrease cooking time.
 
** To add shrimp, shell, clean, and sauté it with the spinach, but not too long, as it will continue to cook when the pasta is added, and again in the broiler.

Serve with crusty bread, salad, and white wine. Serves 4-6.

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Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts

Whether you call it seksu, kuskus, or keskesu, couscous is a versatile and delicious dish. This North African staple has been around for centuries, traveling all over and leaving recipes in medieval cookbooks from Morocco to Brittany.

These tiny round grains of semolina pasta may be steamed or simmered in a variety of broths and served as a main course or side dish. I prefer the larger version, called pearl or Israeli couscous, and I’ve been making gorgeous salads with it all summer.

Israeli/pearl couscous comes in many flavors and may be made of different grains, such as barley or whole wheat. For this recipe, I used a tri-color semolina couscous for a festive touch and simmered it in homemade vegetable broth. We enjoyed it with grilled fish and steamed veggies, but this would be an outstanding side dish for a multitude of main courses.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS with PINE NUTS

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil                       1¾ cups pearl couscous
1 large shallot, chopped                            2 cups simmering broth
4 scallions, white parts chopped,             1 tsp. salt
       green stems sliced into rounds          ½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped                        Fresh parsley, chopped

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1.  Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in a deep sauté pan (I use a non-stick pan for this recipe). Add the shallot and scallion whites and stir until tender and just starting to brown, about 7 minutes.

2.  Stir in remaining Tbs. olive oil and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the couscous and stir until the granules are coated with oil and no longer clump together, 2-3 minutes.

3.  Stir in heated broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, 10-12 minutes, until broth is absorbed. Stir occasionally.

4.  Remove from heat. Stir in half the pine nuts and the parsley. Garnish with scallion greens and serve, passing the rest of the pine nuts at the table. Leftovers reheat well. Serves 4-6.

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Summer Squash

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

I like to serve at least one veggie main course each week. This week, I created a recipe from a picture I found a while back in a chef's equipment catalog. Although I lusted after the advertised sauté pan, the pasta and vegetables in the pan was what had my mouth watering.

In the picture the chef appears to have used regular fettuccine. I mixed regular fettuccine with whole-wheat fettuccine. This is a very easy recipe not requiring precise measurements.

Ingredients:

8 ounces fettuccine (semolina/durum)
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine (durum whole grain)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch asparagus, each spear cut into thirds
1 medium zucchini, sliced thin
1 medium yellow squash, sliced thin
zest of one small lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook fettuccine according to package(s) for desired doneness, keeping in mind that each type might have a different cooking duration. Time accordingly.

2. Meanwhile, pour olive oil into a large sauté pan. When hot, add garlic, asparagus, zucchini and yellow squash. Cover and cook on medium-low until desired tenderness. Add lemon zest near end of cooking time.

3. Toss cooked vegetables with cooked fettuccine, black pepper and parmesan cheese. Place in bowls and serve with a favorite wine.

Makes 4 generous servings. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Carbonara

This classic northern Italian dish is traditionally made with that wonderful Italian bacon called pancetta. In this quick-to-whip-up version, American bacon substitutes with flying colors. Don't be put off by the cream and butter. You deserve it once in a while. Steam some broccoli, pour a white wine, and dinner is served!

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

½ lb. lean bacon
½ cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
A generous grinding of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lb. thin spaghetti or linguine
2 Tbs. butter

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1. Fry bacon, break into pieces, and set aside. Transfer 2 Tbs. bacon fat to small sauté pan. Add cream and heat over low heat. Keep warm.

2. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cheese.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Rinse and drain pasta. Return pot to stove and melt butter. Add pasta to butter and stir to coat. Add egg mixture and stir to blend until eggs are thoroughly heated. Stir in cream mixture and bacon. Add more cream if needed. Serve at once, passing extra grated cheese at the table. Serves 2-4.

Orecchiette with Tuna, Peas, Cannellini Beans, and Mushrooms

Orecchiette, which means "little ears" in Italian, is a wonderful pasta for trapping tiny, tasty morsels. In this dish, those morsels include tuna, peas, mushrooms, and cannellini beans simmered in a white wine sauce. We gobbled up this dish at our last writers’ meeting, and everyone had seconds. (We served a veggie cheese along with the Parmesan for our veggie friends.) A Five Star Yum!

ORECCHIETTE with TUNA, PEAS, CANNELLINI BEANS, and MUSHROOMS

8 oz. sliced white mushrooms             1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed
6 Tbs. olive oil                                                   and drained
1-2 large shallots, chopped                   A splash of lemon juice
6-8 cloves garlic, minced                      ½ lb. orecchiette
4 cans solid white tuna in water          Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth       Fresh chopped parsley
½ cup dry white wine                            Freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano
1 tsp. dry oregano                                                  cheese
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas                                    

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1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. salt.

2. Rinse peas briefly and drain. Don’t worry if they aren’t completely thawed.

3. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in deep frying pan. Over medium high heat, sauté mushrooms in oil until they give off their liquid and start to brown. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.

4. In same pan, heat remaining 5 Tbs. olive oil. Sauté shallots until they are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.

5. Stir in wine and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer about 13 minutes. Stir in beans, peas, and mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let sit while pasta is cooking.

6. Cook pasta according to package directions, which should take about 11 minutes.

7. Drain pasta and add to bean mixture. Reheat briefly, add drained and chopped tuna, a splash of lemon juice, and parsley. Serve with crusty bread, salad, and your favorite white wine. Pass cheese separately. Generously serves 4-6.

Salmon Orzo Mediterranean

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

The word orzo is Italian for barley, referring to the shape and size of the pasta as it looks somewhat like a grain of rice. I've always thought of orzo pasta as Greek because of its popularity in the region, but you will find the tiny pasta in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes.

During a recent visit to the Boston area, I enjoyed a wonderful salmon fillet with an orzo side dish in an Italian restaurant. After returning home, I thought, why not combine the two and I came up with the following colorful recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. salmon fillet
2 cups orzo pasta
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
4 scallions, chopped with greens

1. Broil, bake, or microwave salmon fillet and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions in a large saucepan.

3. In a small bowl combine and whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

4. When pasta has finished cooking and while still hot, drain and return to pan. Add spinach, bell pepper, cucumber, and scallions. Add lemon juice mixture and toss. Break cooked salmon fillet into small pieces and mix in. Serve immediately.

* This recipe is also good served cold the next day.

Provides four servings. Enjoy!