Orecchiette With Lamb And Asparagus Recipes

ORECCHIETTE WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and let it sizzle a minute. Add the asparagus and toss to coat in the oil. Cook and toss until the asparagus just begins to soften, about 5 minutes (add a splash of pasta water if the garlic is in danger of burning). Cover with a lid.
• Uncover the asparagus, and at the same time add the orecchiette to the pasta water. Add the peas to the asparagus and season with the salt. Toss to combine and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallions, stir, and add 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes.
• When the pasta is al dente, remove with a spider directly to the sauce. Add the parsley, drizzle with some olive oil, and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss, garnish with pea tendrils and serve.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BACON, LEMON AND CREAM

Steps:

• Cook the bacon: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup water and the bacon slices. Cook until all of the water evaporates and the bacon becomes crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a kitchen towel to drain, reserving the fat in a separate bowl.
• Make the sauce: In a large skillet, whisk together the heavy cream and sour cream. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer the cream mixture over medium heat, whisking, until it thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil and season with 1/2 cup salt. The pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the orecchiette to the boiling water and stir with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook until the pasta is al dente (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta in a large colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water in case you need it to adjust the sauce.
• Finish the dish: Reheat the pasta sauce over medium heat until it simmers gently. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the pasta to rest for 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the bacon, some of the reserved bacon fat, an additional splash of lemon juice, chives and pasta water (if needed) to make a sauce that lightly coats the pasta. Serve immediately.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Snap or cut the dry stem ends off each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

ORECCHIETTE WITH TOASTED BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saute pan, heat the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly. Season lightly with salt and pepper since flavored bread crumbs may already have seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Drain pasta in a colander. Working quickly, add pasta to the saute pan and stir to combine. Add Parmesan and the chopped prosciutto. Mix thoroughly. Pour into large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.

ORECCHIETTE WITH HAM AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk the semolina and all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Mound on a work surface and make a well in the center. Pour 1/2 cup cold water into the well. Using a fork and working your way around the well, gradually mix the flour into the water. Continue mixing until the dough is crumbly. If the dough is too dry to come together, add up to 1/4 cup more water, a little at a time.
• Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature,30 minutes. (The dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; bring it to room temperature before rolling.)
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (and keeping the other pieces wrapped), roll the dough on the counter with your hands into a 1/2-inch-thick log. With a knife or bench scraper, cut the log into 1/2-inch pieces; roll each piece into a small ball. With floured hands, press your thumb into a dough ball and drag it toward you to form a bowl shape; put the dough on the tip of your index finger and turn it inside out. Repeat to form the remaining orecchiette; transfer to a floured baking sheet as you go.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the ham and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook1 minute. Add the peas and broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and simmer until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes for frozen, 10 minutes for fresh.
• Transfer the orecchiette to a colander and shake over the baking sheet to remove the excess flour. Add the orecchiette to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and add directly to the skillet with the ham and peas. Toss, adding spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water to loosen, if necessary. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan.

LAMB WITH ASPARAGUS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine lemon zest and juice, garlic, and rosemary; whisk in 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Place in a large resealable bag, and add marinade. Seal bag, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Turn bag several times to coat lamb in marinade. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight), flipping bag halfway through.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (If lamb was marinated overnight, remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.) Toss potatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan, and roast 20 minutes.
• Remove lamb from marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Push potatoes to edges of pan, add marinade and lamb, and roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F, and cook 40 minutes. Add asparagus, tossing to coat in pan juices, and cook until lamb is medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer should read 130 degrees F when inserted in thickest part of lamb), about 20 minutes more.
• Tent lamb with foil, and let rest 20 minutes before carving and serving. If necessary to fully cook vegetables, return them to oven while meat is resting.