Farro Pasta with Wild Arugula Pesto and Ricotta Salata

I think this is my first post since my vacation that doesn’t feature Southern or Caribbean food! I knew I’d snap out of vacation mode and once again source my inspiration from the ingredients and dishes I come across in my day-to-day travels.

Now that farmers’ market season is here, the inspiration is rolling in with far greater frequency than it does during the winter months. Kimball Fruit Farm’s tidy bundles of wild arugula (also known as Sylvetta arugula) inspired this simple, yet bold, pasta dish. If you cannot find wild arugula, readily available baby arugula can be substituted, but the flavor will be milder.

Farro Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Ricotta Salata

1 17 oz. / 500 g box farro pasta*
1 bunch wild arugula (about 6 loosely packed cups of leaves), washed and torn into bits
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. /60 mL peppery olive oil
dash hot chili oil**
Generous pinch salt
A few grinds black pepper
1 tomato, seeded and finely diced
2 oz. / 60 g ricotta salata, thinly sliced or shaved

Cook the pasta in salted water. In the meantime, put the arugula, garlic, olive oil, chili oil, salt, and pepper in a blender (Save $66 on Omega Commercial Blender at CHEFS) and puree until a paste is formed, adding more olive oil if necessary.

When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and add it back to the pot. Immediately pour the arugula pesto over the pasta and toss until all strands are coated. Serve in individual bowls, sprinkling the tomatoes and ricotta salata on top of each portion. This dish pairs well with a dry, full-bodied white wine.

* To purchase ingredients used in this recipe, click the image below:



** I used my homemade Ghost Pepper Oil - it adds a good punch of heat without an overwhelming chili flavor.

Nutritional info: serves eight. 300 calories, 9 g fat, 44 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein.

Pepper-Crusted Steak with Strawberry Pesto

Strawberry shortcake?  Yum.  Strawberry jam?  OK.  Strawberry pesto?  ...?  Just trust me.

No need to chase me down and throw me in a straight jacket, this is one of my crazy ideas that just happened to work. 

My food inspiration most often comes in one of these three forms:  1) reading cookbooks or watching TV cooking programs and imagining how I would have cooked a dish; 2) tasting an unfamiliar ingredient or dish and brainstorming how I could cook it myself; and 3) looking in my fridge at all the random odds and ends and trying to determine what I could toss in a pan together that would turn into something semi-edible.

The third form of inspiration is how I came up with the idea for strawberry pesto.  Because me and my black thumb have not once been able to keep a basil plant alive, I'm forced to buy basil in large bunches from grocery stores and farmers' markets, even when I need only three or four leaves.  The leftovers usually go into pesto.  However, I had a few past-their-prime strawberries.  They weren't moldy or anything, but they were no longer shiny and firm.  I thought to myself, "Hmm...I've seen strawberry granita with a hint of basil; so why don't I try basil with a hint of strawberry?"  A few pulses in the blender, and I had a great summery sauce for a perfectly cooked pepper-crusted steak.  The strawberry pesto also makes an excellent dressing for cold whole-wheat pasta! 


Strawberry Pesto

2 large, or 4 small, slightly overripe strawberries, sliced
3 cups tightly-packed shredded basil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 t. kosher salt
olive oil

Combine the strawberries, basil, garlic, and salt in a blender.  Add a splash of olive oil and pulse a few times until blended.  Continue adding a slow stream of olive oil until the pesto has reached a smooth consistency. 


Pepper-Crusted Steaks with Strawberry Pesto

4 steaks, 1.5" thick, brought to room temperature
2 T. cracked peppercorns
kosher salt

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan, preferably cast-iron, over high heat.  While the pan is heating, combine the cracked peppercorns with a few pinches of kosher salt on a plate.  Press both sides of each steak into the peppercorn blend. 

Once the steaks are seasoned, check to see if your pan is ready.  It is ready when a drop of water beads up and dances across the pan's cooking surface rather than staying put and sizzling. 

Once the pan is ready, add a few pinches of kosher salt to the pan, then add the steaks.  Sear them 2-3 minutes per side, using tongs to turn them over. 

Remove the steaks from the pan.  Set them aside and let them rest for 5-7 minutes.  It is very important that you do not touch the steaks while they rest; this step distributes the juices, and cutting into the steak too early results in lost flavor. 

Once the steaks have rested, place them on plates and decoratively spoon the strawberry pesto onto the plates.

Oh, Snapper!

Farewell, fish-free food.  I have enjoyed my vegetarian and vegan recipes, but I've also craved seafood.  Yesterday, I trekked to the North End to pick up a half-dozen oysters and a slice of salmon from Mercato del Mare.  It felt great to be back!  Another customer was in the store inquiring about snapper, and I instantly erased the salmon from my mind and started building a list of ingredients to go with a nice, fresh piece of snapper. 

First ingredient?  Capers.  I have always used bottled capers in brine; I decided that today was the day I'd try capers packed in salt, which are said to have more flavor and a better texture.  I purchased a tub at Salumeria Italiana, and discovered that the rumors are true.  Salt-packed capers aren't much more expensive than capers in brine.  They should be rinsed before use (unless you're using them in a sauce where salt is called for - then use as is and omit extra salt), but this is not time consuming.  If you can find them, use them. 

The other ingredients I planned to use are things I already had at home, like parsley and oranges, so I decided to head back to the apartment.  That's when I walked by a small gelato shop - this place was tiny; if I had been walking with a purpose I may not have even noticed it...I literally stopped dead in my tracks, walked backwards a few steps, and realized that yes, I had in fact seen gelato.  I felt like Chunk when his rant about his frustration with the other Goonies was cut short by his discovery of the Fratelli's ice cream freezer.  I wish I knew the name of the place where I purchased my gelato - I'll get it next time.  If you can't wait, it's on the corner of Hanover and Cross Street right next to the Citizens ATM.  To my delight, they'll put two different flavors in the same cup, which saved me from having to decide between hazelnut and pistachio.  Each flavor was delightfully rich.  The pistachio contained tiny chunks of real pistachios, while the hazelnut was more generous with the nuts - hazelnut halves swam about and added a pleasant crunchy surprise!  I did not care that it was too cold out to be eating gelato, I sat down on a park bench, people watched, and savored every spoonful.  Note to self - don't hold a paper cup in your bare hand on a cold day, grab more napkins next time and insulate! 

Today, I made the snapper, along with a batch of seasoned rice.  This meal was unbelievably satisfying, and the zesty citrus and the clean, fresh flavor of the parsley led my tastebuds to believe summer was still alive and kicking.  Sometime this winter, when it's been blustery and gray for weeks on end, I will make this recipe to remind myself of warmer days.

Broiled Snapper with Citrus-Parsley Pesto

1/2 cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley
zest of 2 oranges
1.5 T. salt-packed capers, chopped (do not rinse)
2 T. olive oil
1/4 t. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 snapper fillets, skin removed

Combine all ingredients except the fish in a small bowl, mix well to form consistent paste, and set aside for at least 30 minutes for flavors to blend.

Prepare the broiler on high heat.  Place each slice of fish in the center of a square of aluminum foil.  Spread each slice generously with the pesto, then fold up the edges of the foil to form a package. 

Broil for 15 minutes.  During the last two minutes of cooking, open up the package so that the pesto is exposed to the heat.  Let it start to brown a little, but do not let it burn.  Remove from oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes.  Serve with seasoned rice. 

Seasoned Rice

2 cups freshly cooked rice
1 T. Goya Adobo with Bitter Orange seasoning
1 T. olive oil

Combine the Goya seasoning and the olive oil with the cooked rice.  Fluff and serve.