Pasta Trapanese

This is a simple pasta dish that can be made fast friendly by leaving out the cheese quite easily. You can use a fast friendly oil if it is not an olive oil day. The sauce is a Sicilian variation on pesto and is so good! This feeds eight to 12 people with a salad, bread, and fruit.

6 cups cherry tomatoes, or canned diced tomatoes
30 large basil leaves, or about 2 tablespoons of dry or 2 frozen basil and oil cubes (we've used all three with success)
8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we use Aleppo pepper)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups freshly grated hard, Italian cheese like parmegiano, pecorino, or something like that (if you leave it out, increase the tomato and almond)

Pulse the almonds, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt together in a food processor. Add the tomatoes and olive oil and process until fairly smooth - not too grainy, not too chunky, not too wet.

Scrape the pesto into a large serving bowl and stir, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese at this point, if you are using it. Let sit while you prepare the pasta. This sitting time really makes a difference. The first time I made it, I tasted it right away, and it was pretty crude tasting, but rounds out after it has a chance to settle.

Cook your pasta to al dente, drain, but let some water cling to the pasta, and toss with the sauce in the serving bowl.

Farls

This is my new favorite way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. You can make them from fresh potatoes, also, but I like to make these for breakfast the next day when I have leftovers. I don't know if the fresh herbs are authentic, but we liked them added to the mix.

6 cups mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cup flour (I use bread flour)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (we use chives, dill, parsley or a mix of all three)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled (plus more for cooking)

In a large bowl, add the mashed potatoes, flour, salt, pepper, and melted butter. Mix well and stir the dough together until it forms a ball.

Divide the dough in half and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it into two 9 inch round discs. Using a large knife cut the disc into 8 pieces each.

Melt a big knob of butter in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-low to medium heat until bubbling. Carefully add the potato farls and cook over medium-low to medium heat for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip them over and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side. They should be crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Serve immediately while hot (though we thought they were quite good warm, or even room temperature).

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:08 AM