Saturday, January 14, 2012

Using my pasta, with artichokes. Salad as the main dish

Tonight's dinner was a LOT of fun for me...the cook.
The menu: my spinach/basil pasta with artichoke hearts (and a few other things).
Spent the afternoon making pasta. Some we gave to our MOST wonderful neighbors....some we kept.
AND salad with bacon vinaigrette topped with a poached egg! (the main dish)
Start with a mix of various lettuce but add what you have. I had some green and red leaf lettuce and romaine and red cabbage and tomato and a bit of onion.
The dressing:
I used my garlic confit oil with 2 slices of bacon, sliced to about 1/4 inch. Add to the garlic confit and cook unil bacon is crispy. Take the bacon out and drain...leave the oil/fat. Now add a diced shallot or 1/4 cup red onion and saute. When limp, add 1/4 cup of red vinegar and some lemon juice and about a teaspoon of dejon mustard. Blend it all together in the pan. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Pasta:
My homemade spinach and basil pasta....see earlier posts.
Sauce:
My garlic confit and 1 tablespoon butter. Add artichoke hearts. I had frozen artichoke hearts I got from Trader Joes. Slice lengthwise....thin. Saute, add white wine...reduce. Add heavy cream....only 1/4 cup. A little bit goes a long way. Now....add your homemade pasta, not quite done.....you finish your pasta in the sauce (see earlier posts). Add pasta water as you need it. I always like to add some. It "finishes" the pasta.



Now, dress the salad with your salad with you vinaigrette dressing, top with the bacon and crouton AND a poached egg!
(HA....no pictures....we ate it as soon as I put it in the bowels.)
Plate the pasta.....eat.
Mmmmm
This was soooooo good tonight!

To top it off.....pumpkin Crème brûlée.

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