Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Spinach Pasta With Assorted Vegetables and Feta




This was a nice way to use up the odds and ends in the vegetable bins. A handful of broccoli, a handful of cherry tomatoes, two ears of corn. You get the idea. What is so impressive here is the pasta. I still can't believe I made something that good from a block of frozen spinach-but there you have it. I'll post the recipe for the rest just to give you an idea of how I use leftovers, but really, the recipe to note is the pasta. Wow, that was good pasta.

For the spinach fettuccine:

3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg beaten until very light
3 tablespoons very cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package frozen chopped spinach cooked, drained and squeezed dry of all liquid in a dish towel
1 1/2 cups semolina
1-2 cups AP flour plus more for dusting

To the beaten eggs add the water and salt. Beat in the spinach until well broken-up. Beat in the semolina and then by hand add the regular flour until you have a very stiff dough. Take it from the bowl and knead lightly until no longer sticky. Let rest on a floured surface 10 minutes. Divide into about five balls and flatten with a rolling pin. Put through a pasta maker, or use your strong arms and then cut into strips. Dredge in more flour to prevent sticking. Let dry on a rack for 30 minutes before transferring to a bag in the fridge, or cooking right away. These noodles freeze well.

For the vegetables:

Roasted cherry tomatoes
2 ears of corn removed from cob
1 large onion
1 bulb roasted garlic
2 small florets of broccoli
A handful of black olives
half a hunk of Feta cheese
Chopped parsley
a knob of leftover butter and chopped fresh sage
olive oil
Salt and pepper

I know, it sounds like a crazy combination, but somehow it worked. The cherry tomatoes give off their juice in the roasting oil and that makes the base of a really nice sauce (along with extra oil and butter).

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