Welcome home, QU collegiettes! I hope the summer has served you all well, and left you happier, wiser, and of course, tanner! This is by far my favorite time of year in the culinary sense. We are inundated with amazing fresh, local, seasonal produce. Cherish this time ladies, because before we know it we’ll be up to your knees in snow and daydreaming about peaches, watermelon, and berries galore.
I have an amazing recipe for you that’ll make your guests think you just won The Next Food Network Star. The longest part of preparation is waiting for the water to bowl, and penne to cook! The rest will come together in LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES!!! And most of the ingredients are household staples! I apologize if my excitement is overwhelming, but this thing is awesome.
Okay, I’ll stop being a dork and just tell you the recipe. It is the creation of culinary superstar and sweetheart Giada De Laurentiis. And if you really want to stun your dinner companions, follow up Giada’s Penne with Brown Butter, Arugula, and Pine Nuts with a dessert by another Food Network goddess. Ina Garten’s delicious parfait requires little time, a few store bought ingredients, and the ability to use a spoon. The name, Eton Mess, isn’t too descriptive but all it entails is a layering of whipped cream, raspberry sauce, and broken meringue cookies.
Be prepared to wow your friends and trick them into thinking you spent the summer months becoming a culinary protégé.
Giada De Laurentiis’ Penne with Brown Butter, Arugula, and Pine Nuts
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pasta:
1 pound penne rigate pasta
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
4 cups baby arugula
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (see Cook’s Note)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
Cook’s Note:To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.
For the dressing:In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
For the pasta:Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a high-sided skillet, whisk the butter over medium heat until melted. Simmer until foamy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pasta, dressing, arugula, tomatoes, Parmesan, pine nuts, and capers. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-brown-butter-arugula-and-pine-nuts-recipe/index.html
Ina Garten’s Eton Mess
6 (6-ounce) packages fresh raspberries, divided
1 ½ cups plus 1.4 cp granulated sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons framboise liquer (a raspberry liquer, such as Chambord)
2 ½ cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5-6 (3-inch) bakery meringue shells or cookies, broken in pieces
Pour 3 packages of the raspberries, 1 ½ cups of the sugar, and the lemon juice into a 10-inch sauté pan. Crush the berries lightly with a fork and bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is syrupy. Fold the remaining 3 packages of raspberries and the framboise liquer into the hot mixture and refrigerate until very cold.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, beat the cream, the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, and the vanilla together on medium-high speed until it forms firm peaks.
In six decorative glasses, layer a spoonful of the whipped cream, a spoonful of the raspberry mixture, and then a few meringue pieces. Repeat once or twice, depending on the size of the glasses, until the glasses are full ending with berries and a dollop of cream. Serve immediately, or chill for an hour, until ready to serve.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/eton-mess-recipe/index.html
Photo Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/eton-mess-recipe/index.html
Photo Source: http://www.BloomingHillFarm.com