Foodie Friday - Pastotto

Welcome Back to Foodie Friday -

I am going to start each Foodie Friday Post with the grades on the previous week's recipe.
Chic Pea Meatballs from our friend up in Saratoga, the Toga Food Fanatic - Ashley Dingeman.
Check her out on Twitter @TogaFoodFanatic or check out her FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/SaratogaFoodFanatic

Ashley has a great point of view when it comes to reviews - She is a foodie, of course she would be perfect for doing restaurant reviews.
Come to find out, she is also quite the cook as well.
I made her meatballs following the recipe and here is my take -

Overall Grade - B+
Why not higher-

• Seems to be little tiny bit bland, could have used more salt 
• More fresh basil would have brightened up the end product
• Some garlic would have really solidified the Italian Flavor Profile

Why so high -

• This little gem has endless uses - swap out a couple ingredients and have a totally different flavor profile - go Mediterranean, go Asian, go Southern.
•  I love how she baked them and did not fry
• Vegetarian and vegan options are so important to have a complete recipe box.

The People's Vote - Each recipe is also voted on by the readers.
Overall Grade - A-

People loved the simplicity, the baked side and also the vegan/ vegetarian/ gluten free options with this recipe.
Thanks so much Ashley, we will always love when you stop by and share a recipe.


Now, to the recipe this week..... Cue Orchestra

This week I asked our good friend Linnea to share a recipe from her blog - Borealis Kitchen
If you love food and are tired of the same old, same old - Check out her blog
http://borealis-kitchen.blogspot.com/2014/01/pastotto.html

Very rarely would I consider a pasta recipe on this blog - Until now.
Please sit down. Take your Italian Grandmother into another room. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Here is what Linnea has to say - 

pastotto

This, friends, is a post you need to pay attention to. I am about to do you all a massive favor. It will involve yelling at you, but I yell because I care.

STOP COOKING YOUR PASTA IN PLAIN, BORING WATER AND STOP EATING PLAIN, BORING PASTA. THERE IS NO REASONABLE EXCUSE FOR THIS BEHAVIOR. JUST STOP IT.

Let's face it: pasta is dull. Unless you find authentic, homemade stuff, pasta is bland as can be, and even finding homemade doesn't guarantee it's going to be flavorful. Plus, half the time the sauce is too thin and just rolls off the noodles, and what you end up with is a forgettable, disappointing meal, which is why people end up just dumping mass amounts of cheese on top, or even worse, that "Parmesan" dust that doesn't even need to be refrigerated.

Never again! Now your pasta can actually taste like things!

There is one simple rule for pasta to be rich and flavorful: cook it like risotto. Start off like you're making the sauce (saute some onion/shallots/garlic/tomatoes/whathaveyou), then add oil and dry noodles, then broth in half-cup increments til the pasta has absorbed it all, then finish it like you're finishing the sauce (with "cream," a thickener, etc) and that's all. Since the pasta is cooking with  the sauce ingredients and stock rather than water, it's infused with all that flavor. Delish.

Here's one I messed around with to bring to my holiday potluck party on Friday. It's lovely as is, but next time I may also finish it with a bechemel, just to give it even more lushness.

Mushroom Leek Pastotto

Earth Balance butter and olive oil for sauteing
1/2 lb pasta (gemelli is a classic, but I quite like to use orecchiette or campanelle)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 to 1 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp minced garlic (I use jarred, minced garlic because I like how much mellower it is than fresh)
1/2 cup white wine
2.5-3 cups vegetable stock (I never use tomato-based stocks since mostly they make things taste like tomato paste, and here it's especially important to avoid them because you don't want to overpower the delicate flavors of the mushrooms and leeks)

 Heat a heavy and deep skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tbsp Earth Balance in it. Add the shallot, garlic and leeks and saute for a minute or two, then add mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms brown. Add the pasta and a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and stir and toss the pasta until it's evenly coated and glossy. Add the white wine and simmer, stirring frequently, until the wine is mostly absorbed. Add 1/2 a cup of stock and repeat the process. Once absorbed, add another 1/2 cup, and so on, until the stock is absorbed and the pasta is tender. Serve piping hot, and you just try not to eat 3 helpings, I dare you.

It's so easy to vary this recipe, and use whatever herbs, spices and vegetables to different effects, plus the whole shebang takes less than 1/2 an hour, so it's a nice last minute meal idea.

Enjoy!

As a huge backer of the No Carb Left Behind Movement, this was out of this world good.
There was a silkiness to that pasta that Scott Conant would marvel at.
The Pasta Gods were smiling today.

The depth of flavor in this pasta is like a good braised beef dish or a perfectly done pork ragout.
The leeks were a fantastic flavor in this dish, this coming from someone who is not in love with leeks.
I think Linnea is spot on in saying you could take this dish to any part of Italy and beyond with flavor profiles.
I would be a huge fan of giving your favorite red sauce the day off this Sunday.
Take this recipe for a ride and let me know what you think.
Email your reviews to - info@wanderingdago.com or leave a comment here.

See everyone next Friday -

Brandon
Chef/ Owner - Wandering Dago Food Truck & Catering