Fiddlehead Ferns And Angel Hair Pasta Recipes

SPRING FIDDLEHEAD PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 9 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
• Combine the ricotta, lemon zest and a few grinds of black pepper in small bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the fiddleheads and sprinkle with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring gently, until the fiddleheads are crisp-tender and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the fiddleheads to a bowl. Add the lemon juice, cooked pasta and reserved water to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the pasta is al dente. Add the ricotta mixture and lightly toss until the pasta is just coated.
• Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and top with the fiddleheads and a few grinds of black pepper.

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Clean the fiddleheads by snipping off the tough 1/8-inch at the bottom and any stray coarse tips visible. Wash the ferns in cold water. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and add a teaspoon salt. Add the fiddleheads to the boiling water, return to the boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until tender. Drain the boiling water and refresh the ferns in ice water. Drain and pat dry the ferns.
• In a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat. As the butter begins to bubble, add the dry, blanched fiddleheads and saute for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

FIERY ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Stir the oil, parsley, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and toss with enough reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and red pepper flakes, to taste. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over pasta for extra flavor and texture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.
• Combine the oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a heavy small saucepan. Cook over low heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil registers 180 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer the oil and pepper flakes to a 4-ounce bottle. Seal the lid. Refrigerate up to 1 month.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH LEMON, FINGERLING POTATOES AND SUNFLOWER GREENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the potatoes: Put the potatoes on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the tray in the center of the oven and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons salt and bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes. Stir the pasta with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks.
• In a large colander, drain the pasta. Reserve 1/2 a cup of the pasta liquid, in case it becomes necessary to use it later on.
• In a large skillet, combine the heavy cream and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the cream over medium heat whisking until it thickens and all of the sour cream melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and a "splash" of Worcestershire sauce. Taste for seasoning. (*See Cook's Note) Stir in the chives.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with the cream. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to "rest" for 2 minutes, tossing to coat, from time to time. Meanwhile, put the potatoes on a flat surface and use a sharp knife to slice them into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Stir the potato slices into the pasta sauce.
• Serve the pasta: Warm the serving bowls. If the cream is overly thick, add a little more of the pasta cooking liquid and swirl it around over the heat for a minute. Stir in the sunflower greens and spoon the pasta into the bowls. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the potatoes: Put the potatoes on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the tray in the center of the oven and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons salt and bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes. Stir the pasta with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks.
• In a large colander, drain the pasta. Reserve 1/2 a cup of the pasta liquid, in case it becomes necessary to use it later on.
• In a large skillet, combine the heavy cream and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the cream over medium heat whisking until it thickens and all of the sour cream melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and a "splash" of Worcestershire sauce. Taste for seasoning. (*See Cook's Note) Stir in the chives.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with the cream. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to "rest" for 2 minutes, tossing to coat, from time to time. Meanwhile, put the potatoes on a flat surface and use a sharp knife to slice them into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Stir the potato slices into the pasta sauce.
• Serve the pasta: Warm the serving bowls. If the cream is overly thick, add a little more of the pasta cooking liquid and swirl it around over the heat for a minute. Stir in the sunflower greens and spoon the pasta into the bowls. Serve immediately.

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Before you're ready to cook cut about 1/8-inch off the thick ends if they look brown and rinse the fern shoots thoroughly to get rid of the brown fuzzy chaff that clings to their sides. Dry the shoots thoroughly before cooking by first spinning them in a lettuce spinner and then patting them with paper towels. Melt butter in a pan at medium heat. Add garlic, parsley and fiddleheads to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 5 minutes or until they are done.

BAKED FISH DUGLER-INI AND ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• To a small skillet preheated over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook onions 5 minutes, until translucent. Add wine to the pan and reduce for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and break up the sliced stewed tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they heat through. When the sauce comes to a boil (2 or 3 minutes) remove it from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce into the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Add fish to the dish in a single layer. Add remaining sauce and bake 15 to 17 minutes until fish is firm and opaque.
• Remove fish to serving plate or dinner plates. Spoon a few bits of tomato and sauce over the fish. To the remaining sauce in the baking dish add 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces. Add hot pasta to butter and sauce and turn pasta in dish to coat evenly and to allow pasta to absorb juices. Pile pasta alongside fish and serve. If you are entertaining, try bundling portions of pasta around a large, 2-pronged meat fork, by twisting the fork in the pasta allowing it to curl up the fork. Shimmy the twisted pasta off the fork on to a plate you will create pasta "nests." This simple "twist" adds a lot to the plate presentation.