Basil Pasto, Salmon Macaroni, Macaroni Salad
Salmon Macaroni Salad Recipe
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Tip: add the macaroni to the salmon mayo mixture when it is still warm. That way it will absorb the flavors better.
Ingredients
1/2 pound (about 2 cups) macaroni pasta
Salt
2 (7-ounce) cans salmon
1/2 cup mayonnaise (plus more to taste or for added smoothness)
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped shallots, red onions, or green onions (with onion greens)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
2 stalks celery, chopped
Tabasco to taste (we used about 10 drops)
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Bring a pot of water (2 quarts) to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the dry macaroni pasta and cook, uncovered, in a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is al dente (slightly firm). Remove from heat, drain, rinse briefly in cold water (macaroni should be still warm after rinsing) and drain again.
2 In a large bowl mix the salmon, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the shallots, parsley, dill, and celery.
3 Mix in the cooked macaroni while it is still warm. Add Tabasco and freshly ground pepper to taste. As the macaroni absorbs the mayonnaise, you may need to add some water to the salad to keep it from being dry. Adjust seasonings.
Chill before serving. Serves 4.
How to Make Pesto like an Italian Grandmother
One key to perfect pesto is chopping all the ingredients by hand, preferably with a sharp mezzaluna or knife. I gave my double-bladed mezzaluna to a friend last year because it was collecting dust (I also didn’t like how ingredients would get stuck between the blades), but have a large half-moon shaped pizza cutter that works like a dream. Francesca’s mom even approved and said it cut her chopping time in half. This pesto will keep a bit in the refrigerator, but it really hits its peak when served soon after it is made.
The technique here is: chop a bit, add some ingredients, chop some more. I think part of the reason she does it this way (instead of chopping everything all at once) is because some things get chopped into oblivion, while some not as much – it encourages specturm of cut sizes throughout the pesto contributing to the overall texture. All told, the chopping took me a leisurely twenty to thirty minutes, I wasn’t in any particular rush.
You’ll notice this recipe doesn’t have any added salt (just the saltiness from the cheese), make sure your pasta water is well salted if you are going to use this pesto on pasta or the overall flavor profile will fall flat. Also, be sure to adjust for seasoning before serving. With food this simple, you need to get the seasoning right.
1 large bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried
3 medium cloves of garlic
one small handful of raw pine nuts
roughly 3/4 cup Parmesan, loosely packed and FRESHLY GRATED
A few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Special equipment: large mezzaluna for chopping
Start chopping the garlic along with about 1/3 of the basil leaves. Once this is loosely chopped add more basil, chop some more, add the rest of the basil, chop some more. I scrape and chop, gather and chop. At this point the basil and garlic should be a very fine mince. Add about half the pine nuts, chop. Add the rest of the pine nuts, chop. Add half of the Parmesan, chop. Add the rest of the Parmesan, and chop. In the end you want a chop so fine that you can press all the ingredients into a basil “cake” – see the photo up above. Transfer the pesto “cake” to a small bowl (not much bigger than the cake). Cover with a bit of olive oil, it doesn’t take much, just a few tablespoons.
You can set this aside or place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Just before serving give the pesto a quick stir to incorporate some of the oil into the basil. She occasionally thins the pesto with a splash of pasta water for more coverage, but for our gnocchi this wasn’t necessary.
Makes about 1 cup.
Mom’s Macaroni Salad Recipe
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This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Ingredients
2 cups (about 1/2 lb) dry macaroni pasta (use rice pasta for gluten-free version)
Salt
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper*, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped spring onion or green onion
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
A generous amount of mayonnaise (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
Several pinches of paprika
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
* Trader Joes carries a good product, jarred roasted red bell peppers packed in oil and vinegar. We usually use these in recipes calling for roasted bell peppers. Alternatively, you can roast a fresh bell pepper by blackening it over an open flame on a gas range or broiling until the skin blisters on all sides. Remove from heat source, place in paper bag, after a few minutes remove from bag and scrape off the blackened bits. Discard seeds and stem.
Method
1 Cook macaroni, as directed on its package, in at least 2 quarts of salted water (1 teaspoon of salt per quart of water). When cooked through, but still slightly firm (al dente) remove from heat, drain and rinse with cool water until room temperature.
2 While macaroni is cooking, put chopped onions into a small bowl and sprinkle the lemon juice or vinegar over them. This will serve to take the edge off the onions.
2 Combine cooked macaroni, onions, and all other ingredients in a large serving bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serves 4.
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_macaroni_salad/?bcsi_scan_09F03AE3CB5B1BFD=j11WZodqpXE37/hKTU8J6QIAAABXcGUO
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001570.html?bcsi_scan_09F03AE3CB5B1BFD=0&bcsi_scan_filename=001570.html
Carbonara and Aglio Olio recipes
Carbonara
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1) Mix milk, lotsa shredded Parmesan cheese (or goat’s cheese) and one beaten egg. Amount varies with subjective taste. Set aside.
2) Boil pasta with salted water, preferably sea salt cause I’m a health junkie.
3) Add in shredded onions, garlic. Saute till light brown with olive oil. (Or bacon but I’m a vegetarian for now.)
4) Add in carrots, olives. Salt, pepepr.
5)Low heat. Add in your carbonara sauce in step 1. It’s meant to be a sauce, not an egg so remember not to leave it for too long.
6)Serve. Add in more permesan cheese.
TIPS: Feel free to add in herbs preferably oregano or basil, red pepper flakes and fried shallots.
Aglio Olio (my current craze)
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1)Boil spaghetti in sea salted water.
2)Saute lotsa garlic (4 cloves) and onion in extra virgin olive oil (lots)
3)Add in lemon juice, salt and pepper. I like to add olives. And a lil chopped carrots.
4)Add in red pepper flakes and maybe some oregano. Add spaghetti.
5)Top off with more EVOO and fried shallots. <3
