 My family is Sicilian and they have owned multiple restaurants for generations. Food was a passion in our household growing up and I learned quickly that excellent pasta isn’t complicated. So many US American restaurants over-season the sauce and crowd out the flavor of the tomatoes. A good sauce should be simple and the tomato should still be a main character. This Arrabbiata is my own recipe—simple, light, and with a whole lot of spice. It’s easy to make all winter long, especially if you have home-canned tomato sauce. BUT if you can find fresh basil, I HIGHLY recommend it for garnishing. Better yet, grow your own in a windowsill.  ARRABBIATA PASTA (or gnocchi)
Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 12 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 1/2 to 1 tablespoons crushed red pepper, depending on how much heat you want to add 1.5 teaspoons dried basil Salt to taste 2 pint jars plain tomato sauce Pasta or gnocchi of choice (I like rigatoni, cavatappi, or gemelli because it holds the sauce) Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Fresh basil, thinly sliced Directions: 1. Heat olive oil in a skillet or sauce pot over medium heat. 2. Add garlic, red pepper, dried basil, and salt to the pot. Heat until garlic is soft—not brown! 3. Add sauce and bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes. 4. Prepare pasta or gnocchi in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and rinse. 5. Spoon the pasta into bowls and ladle with the finished sauce. 6. Top with grated Parmesan and fresh basil. Add extra crushed red pepper if desired. Tip: If you make gnocchi, sauté it in a cast iron skillet after cooking and draining to just barely crisp the outside. It adds a little texture and it’s so good.  This easy 2-ingredient glaze is way better than store bought. I use it on paninis, mozzarella, caprese salads, pizzas, and even on grilled peaches for a summer dessert. Best of all, we are lucky enough to use our own farm fresh raw honey.
INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons honey 1 cup balsamic vinegar DIRECTIONS Combine the honey and the vinegar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for 12-15 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, stir the glaze. If a thicker reduction is desired, bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Once fully cooled, store the balsamic reduction in an airtight bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  You may already be aware that hard-neck garlic actually provides the grower with not one, but two harvests. The first comes earlier in the summer, several weeks before the garlic bulbs are ready to be harvested. A curlicue stem with a closed flower bud rises from the leaves here in central New Jersey in early-mid June. This is called the "scape." Removal of the scape or flower bud encourages the garlic plant to focus its energy and resources on the root bulb, rather than entering its reproductive cycle via the flower. Several weeks later, the garlic bulbs are pulled from the soil, providing the farmer with the second and final harvest. It's worth noting that soft-neck garlic varieties do not produce scapes. I'll admit that I'm not very good at using my scapes in the kitchen. Often I donate them to the food pantry or sell them at our farm stand. Though they have a strong garlic flavor, I often still have plenty of bulbs left over from last year's harvest to use up in kitchen recipes. But this year, I decided to eat them myself and make pesto. This pesto recipe is very garlic-forward. Typically the main characters in pesto are spinach and basil, while garlic simply plays a supporting role. This is not the case in this recipe. This spicy, savory, zesty use of scapes is purely for garlic lovers only. Use this pesto sauce on pizza, pasta, sandwiches or paninis, as a vegetable or cracker dip, or to coat potatoes with before roasting. I have tried them all and it's delicious!
Notes on Storage Freezing This recipe makes almost roughly six cups of pesto sauce. Since pesto sauce can not safely be canned via the water bath or pressure canning methods, I turn to freezing mine. If you are freezing in pint-sized mason jars, make sure they are wide-mouth. Fill the jars no more than 3/4 of the way full. Freeze the product WITHOUT THE LID ON and then, when the sauce is fully frozen, add the lid. This reduces air and pressure fluctuation, decreasing the chances of a cracked mason jar. Refrigerator You can also store the pesto sauce in the refrigerator for use over the next couple of days. Pesto Sauce Ingredients 6 cups roughly chopped garlic scapes 2/3 cup lemon juice 1 + 1/3 cup olive oil 2 cups water + more to thin as desired Handful of fresh basil leaves (don't get hung up on exact quantities; add to liking) 1/2 cup grated parmesan (omit for vegan) Optional: For a nuttier flavor, add 1/2 cup of sliced almonds Salt + pepper to taste Directions Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender. Blend the contents until a sauce consistency has formed. There should be no large lumps. More water may be added to your liking to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. This is especially the case if adding optional almonds. Once blended use the sauce in your favorite pasta or pizza recipe, as a spread on sandwiches or paninis, or as a simple dip for veggies and crackers. Save any leftovers according to the notes listed above.  Sometimes you just need a good chili oil, am I right? This oil is extremely full flavored. It's not just olive oil mixed with a little kick. This is an all out flavor fest with ginger, shallot, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, anise, chilis (of course), and more. I use it for drizzling over tofu or stir fry dishes, for adding a burst of flavor to the top of whipped ricotta cheese dip, or for just plain dipping with good crusty bread. It's SO good.  Ingredients for the chili base 3 oz. crushed red pepper/chili flakes 10-12 whole dried chilis, stems removed (thai, birdseye, etc.) 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoons white pepper, ground 5 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, ground (for color) Ingredients for the oil infusion 20 oz. olive oil (I used extra virgin) 4" knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 1" chunks 20 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled, whole 5 shallots, peeled and sliced in half 10 star anise, rinsed with water 5 cinnamon sticks, rinsed with water Directions Mix all of the ingredients for the chili base in a large heat-safe bowl or container. Set aside. Next, we'll start the oil infusion. Pour the 20 ounces of olive oil in a large saucepot over medium high heat. Allow to heat until it reaches roughly 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a thermometer, allow to heat for about five to ten minutes. Drop a small scrap of shallot into the oil. If it simmers with small bubbles, it's ready. If it deep fries with large bubbles and seems intense, turn down the heat. Make sure to remove your tester shallot slice. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced ginger. Allow to fry for only 15 seconds. Remove the ginger with a strainer and set aside. It should not be blackened, just slightly browned. It's important to not burn the ingredients that are infusing the oil. Next add the garlic. Fry for 20 seconds. Remove and set aside. Next add the shallot. Allow to cook for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside. The star anise should have been rinsed under water to keep from scorching during cooking, as should have the cinnamon sticks. Add the moistened star anise to the oil. Allow to cook for 2.5 minutes. Remove the anise and set aside. Lastly add the cinnamon sticks. Allow to cook for 90 seconds. Remove the cinnamon and set aside. Turn off the heat and allow the infused oil to cool slightly. The solids from infusing the oil (the ginger, garlic, shallot, etc.) may be discarded or composted. After allowing the infused oil to cool for about 5 minutes, pour a small amount from the sauce pot into the heat safe container holding the chili base. We want the oil to heat the chili base gradually--not all at once or we risk cooking the ingredients! I usually start by pouring in about a 1/2 cup. Over the next few minutes, slowly add the infused oil about 1/2 to one cup at a time until all of the infused oil resides in the heat safe container. The chili oil is now prepared! Allow to fully cool before handling, eating, or storing in air tight containers. Infused oil can be stored in the refrigerator to prolong shelf life. I personally keep mine on the counter as we go through it quickly! Just remember chilled oil can solidify so be sure to set out to warm up for a while before use.  |
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