Tag: pasta
Spicy Noodle Salad, A Pasta for All Seasons – Summer

Spicy Noodle Salad, A Pasta for All Seasons – Summer

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Summertime!  This is the PERFECT summer potluck dish, Spicy Noodle Salad.  It can be made the night before, it keeps well, and it’s vegetarian, (yes, you can add a protein like chicken if you want).  Peanut allergy?  As much as peanuts are perfect in this salad, pine nuts make an excellent stand-in.  I have made this so many times I’ve lost count, it’s my go-to-crowd pleaser recipe.  Try it.

For those of you who HATE cilantro, I know it’s not your fault-it’s a genetic thing, I can’t think of a substitute BUT, lucky you,  for a tasty noodle salad that doesn’t need cilantro, try Super Summer Somen Salad.  Need a Gluten-free option, try this Pho-tastic Chicken Noodle Salad that calls for rice noodles!

Make this our own, needs to be more savory? Add an additional tablespoon of soy sauce.  If you want a brinier taste try soy Dashi which starts with a fish base stock.

Enjoy!

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5 from 2 votes

Spicy Cold Noodle Salad

Asian inspired Spicy Cold Noodle Salad, the perfect summer potluck dish! Vegetarian and delicious!
Course dinner, lunch, noodles, potluck
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword Angel hair pasta, cucumber salad, Garlic Noodles, Spicy Cold Noodle Salad
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 4 T. corn oil
  • 6 T sesame seed oil
  • 2 t. crushed red pepper
  • 6 T honey decrease by 1T if desired
  • 4 T soy sauce
  • 3 T rice wine vinegar

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. angel hair pasta or any thin pasta, ie. capellini, somen noodles
  • 4 T chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions 2 T for garnish
  • 2 T toasted white sesame seeds you could throw in black sesame seeds too!

Instructions

  • Heat pepper in oils over med/high heat for 1-2 minutes (the longer, the hotter! I usually half the amount of red pepper flakes called for). Cool oils, add honey and soy sauce and stir to combine. Cook pasta according to instructions. Do not overcook noodles! Pour sauce over noodles, add cilantro and onions and chill for 24 hours.
  • Garnish with peanuts, sesame seeds and additional green onions before serving
  • Perfect for summer! Toasted pine nuts or cashews can be substituted for the peanuts.

Notes

Japanese Rice Wine Vinegar is not in the original recipe but I think it needs a hit of acid.  
In place of 4 T soy sauce you can use 2 T reg soy sauce and 2 T Ponzu-citrus flavored soy.
If the dressing is too sweet reduce honey by 1 tablespoon.
Look Ma…No meat! (Wild Mushroom Pasta)

Look Ma…No meat! (Wild Mushroom Pasta)

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My family loves meat but every now and then I can fool them and serve a dish without the carnivore stamp on it.  The secret ingredient is mushrooms!  Mushrooms have a nice meaty consistency that works well as a substitute.  We make portabello burgers, stuff creminis with bread crumbs, onions, garlic, parmesan and peppers and slide them into the oven but our favorite is Pasta with Mushrooms.  A variety of mushrooms are sauteed with garlic, thyme and shallots, flavored with marsala and finished with some stock and cream.  It’s delicious.  If you are a purest you can use a mushroom or vegetable stock but I like to use chicken stock.

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Pasta a la fungi ok, its really noodles with mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces of fresh mushrooms combination of wild and white button or cremini, almost any mushroom will work, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 T butter
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1/4 cup dry marsala
  • 1 cup stock or broth vegetable, mushroom or chicken
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 stalk of green onions or small bunch of chives, chopped
  • 1 16 ounce box of linguine or tagliatelle
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Heat oil and butter in a saute pan large enough to fit mushrooms. When oil and butter start to sizzle add shallots to pan saute 1 minute, then add garlic. Saute another minute, when soft but not brown, add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms until brown, liquid released and evaporated. Add marsala and cook a couple minutes to almost evaporated. Add stock, thyme and continue to cook until reduced by half. Add heavy whipping cream and simmer until sauce thickens and again is reduced by half. Add green onions and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • While sauce is reducing, bring a pot of water to boil to cook noodles. Boil pasta as directed.
  • Drain noodles. Once sauce has reduced add to pasta. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Lake Vancouver, Washington
A Pasta for All Seasons-Fall (Butternut Squash & Spicy Sausage)

A Pasta for All Seasons-Fall (Butternut Squash & Spicy Sausage)

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I love noodles.  As a kid I loved a plate of gooey Mac and cheese (Kraft), spaghetti-o’s or Mom’s lasagne.   But I was equally enamored with a steaming bowl of won ton noodles or plate of chow mein. Today, living in the Bay Area, my noodle choices seem infinite;  shoyu ramen or Vietnamese pho, pad thai or chop jae, all just a stone’s throw away or fortunately for “Silicon Valley-ites”, just an app (Door Dash) delivery away!  Courtesy of Giada de Laurentis, a simple 5 ingredient pasta, Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Spicy Sausage and Arugula that is both easy and delicious.

Boxed pasta, pre-cut squash, and spicy Italian sausage from your favorite grocery store, makes quick work of a weekday dinner.  While the pasta boils, the butternut squash is braised in liquid (water or stock) and smooshed with a spoon.  This adds creaminess and a touch of sweetness to the pasta that plays well with the spiciness of the sausage and the bite from the arugula.

In full defiance of our “carb-phobia” there are times when a bowl of pasta just hits the spot. A couple of new favorites like this one, and a tried and true cold noodle salad, both perfect for the summer.  Let me know if you like them.

Rigatoni with butternut Squash, Spicy Sausage and Arugula

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A Pasta for All Seasons

Ingredients

  • Adapted from Giada's Pasta with Butternut Squash and Spicy Sausage
  • Ingedients:
  • 1 pound rigatoni
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus 3 tablespoons for finishing
  • 1 pound spicy Italian sausage casing removed
  • 1 pound butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/3 inch pieces (when I'm press for time buy the precut squash from TJ's
  • 1-2 coves of garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 minced shallot or quarter of a yelow onion minced.
  • 1 1/2 cups water or broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • 2 cups roughly chopped baby arugula or baby spinach

Instructions

  • Bring pot of water to boil, add 1 tsp salt and pasta. Cook as directed for al dente and drain in colander. Set pasta aside. In a saute pan heat 2 T olive oil, add garlic and shallots and saute until translucent and just about to brown. Add sausage, and break it into smaller pieces while sauteing until it loses its pink color. Add squash and stir until combined. Add water or broth and simmer until squash is tender and liquid has been reduced by approximately half around 10 minutes. Add pasta and 3/4 of parmesan cheese to pan and toss to incorporate pasta and sauce. Pour pasta into bowl and add arugula or spinach and toss to slightly wilt greens. Serve immediately.