Fusilli With Arugula Pesto And Crispy Pancetta Recipes

ARUGULA PESTO PASTA WITH GARLICKY BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Prepare the Garlicky Breadcrumbs: Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and toast for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they are golden and crispy. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for an additional 30 seconds or so. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• Prepare Arugula Pesto: Pulse the garlic cloves in a large food processor until finely minced. Add the arugula, pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse until mostly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer the pasta back to the same pot, add the arugula pesto, grated parmigiano cheese, and toss until evenly coated - adding a couple splashes of pasta cooking water as necessary.
• Serve the arugual pesto pasta with a sprinkling of garlicky breadcrumbs. Top with additional toasted pine nuts (as desired) and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

FUSILLI WITH SPICY PESTO

Steps:

• For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add the spinach and arugula and process until blended. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Place the cooked pasta and pesto in a large serving bowl. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Asiago cheese shavings and serve.
• *Cook's Note: For a milder pesto, remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper.

ATLANTIC BEACH PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the crackers and sugar to a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the melted butter and lemon zest, then pulse until the crumbs look like wet sand, about 30 seconds. Press crumb mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 8-inch pie pan, then chill for at least 15 minutes. Bake the crust until the edges start to brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• For the filling: Add the condensed milk and egg yolks to a medium bowl and whisk until the yolks are incorporated. Add the lemon juice and whisk until fully combined, another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into your prepared pie shell and bake until the filling has nearly set in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Top with whipped cream and freshly grated lemon zest and serve.

CRISPY PANCETTA CROSTINI WITH ARUGULA-LEMON PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toast the pine nuts in a saute pan over medium-high heat until golden in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
• Arrange the pancetta in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool.
• Combine the toasted pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan in a food processor; pulse to finely chop. Add the arugula and continue to pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil; process until incorporated. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and pulse to combine.
• Spoon a nice dollop of pesto onto each slice of baguette, top with a pancetta crisp and serve.

FUSILLI WITH SHRIMP AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and white wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just until they are pink, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Drain the fusilli. Add the fusilli and arugula to the skillet. Toss to combine. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and serve.

FUSILLI WITH TOMATO PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Toast the almonds in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned and starting to crackle, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor; reserve the skillet. Add the basil and garlic to the food processor, season with salt and pepper and pulse until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and process until mostly smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the Parmesan.
• Salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup cooking water, then drain. Add the pasta to the bowl with the pesto and toss well to coat, adding splashes of the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt and pepper.
• While the pasta cooks, cook the bacon in the reserved skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the panko and continue to cook, stirring, until golden and crisp, 1 more minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with the bacon-panko mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan and sliced basil.

CARBONARA STUFFED POTATOES WITH CRISPY PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack set on the middle shelf.
• Cook the pancetta with 1 tablespoon water in a large saute pan over medium heat until crispy and most of the fat has rendered, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the potatoes. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and put in a large paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over several times. Microwave on high for about 15 minutes, carefully flipping the bag every 5 minutes. The potatoes are done once a cake tester or skewer easily pierces the flesh. Remove the potatoes from the bag and put on a baking sheet. Allow the potatoes to cool for 5 minutes.
• Once the pancetta is crispy, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Stir the half-and-half, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the rendered fat.
• Use a sharp paring knife to cut a lengthwise slit in the center of each potato. Carefully remove the flesh, leaving about 1/2-inch around the inside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the potato flesh for another use. Place the remaining flesh in a mixing bowl along with the half-and-half mixture, 2 1/2 cups of the Parmesan, the scallion whites, half of the pancetta and a large pinch of salt. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Scoop the mashed potato mixture back into the skins. Make a large well in each potato deep enough to hold an egg and crack an egg into the well. Bake until the egg is just starting to set, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the potatoes and cover the eggs with the remaining Parmesan. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the eggs no longer wiggle when you shake the baking sheet, 3 to 5 minutes, checking frequently.
• To serve, top each potato with the reserved crispy pancetta and scallion greens and serve immediately.