Bucatini all'arrabbiata

Bucatini?  What in the world? Imagine rolling dough out, and then around a piece of straw. Pull out the straw and you have bucatini, or spaghetti with hole.  They're found in Italian specially stores and sometimes at gourmet grocers. Personally they're not my favorite just because they're hard to cook al dente. Here's the trick though to getting it perfect. . 

Bring your salted water to a boil. Read the package for number of minutes to cook.  Pour pasta into boiling water, stir, cover, and TURN OFF FIRE. Yep. Turn it off. Set the timer and when it dings you'll have perfect pasta. (Don't peek by the way). 

This is such a great system.  Saves electricity, saves steam and heat in the kitchen, and cooks your pasta perfectly al dente all the way through every time. Pastas like bow tie and bucatini especially need this because they tend to cook more on the outside and less at the center. Try it and see how you like it! 

Tonight we picked up some red pepper bucatini from a cousin's fresh pasta shop. I think they're cousins anyway. We are related to half the people in the area somehow. Bright red swirls of thick round pasta. Just too hard to resist. Got some fresh ricotta and spinach ravioli too. Mmm. I think Sunday we will come get their broccoli and almond stuffed orecchiette, or maybe their pistachio and ricotta pasta. Just yum. 

Anyway, my daughter wanted to cook for me, and since I'm fighting some congestion, she said I needed spicy. We stopped and got a fresh, long, spicy pepper, a can of tomato 'pulp', and two eggplants. €4. About $5.50. With €2 for pasta we were at $8 for dinner. Nice. 

Annemarie's Bucatini all'arrabbiata 

In a saucepan heat on medium hi about 2 tbsp olive oil. Slice  1" of the hot pepper into circles. Crush a clove of garlic with the side of your knife. Toss all that in the oil. Don't put the pepper seeds. 

Cook on medium hi for a few minutes and put your pasta water on to boil. 

Add a 14oz can of tomato pulp, or polpa. Kind of like our crushed tomatoes. Add a tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook on medium hi semi-covered for five-ten minutes to reduce the watery liquid down. 

Slice eggplant into 1/4" slices and brown in a skillet either dry or with a little olive oil. Salt each side. Cook till soft and brown. Set aside. 

When salted pasta water boils dump in pasta, stir, cover, turn off and set timer. Don't open the lid at all till timer rings. 

Taste sauce for salt or bitterness. If bitter add a pinch of sugar. 

When everything is done, pull your bucatini out of the water and put right into the sauce. Toss together. 

Serve topped with grilled eggplant, some crusty bread, and we like it with some fresh arugula on top. A little grated ricotta salata cheese goes perfect too. 

We ended the meal with cheese and some buttery pears. 

My congestion cleared right up, by the way. Just what the doctor ordered! 

Italian Stuffed Peppers

My youngest loves stuffed peppers. I've botched them so many times but she's my youngest so....one more try.

This time was a huge smash hit. Moist. Fluffy. Creamy even. Flavorful through and through. No rubbery tasteless peppers or biting flavor. Had to share.

Now that I think about it, meatloaf, meatballs, stuffed peppers, all about the same thing.  Nobody wants dry any of that, so if you have a good meatball recipe try using it for your meatloaf!  In fact, meatloaf in Italian is "Polpettone"...Giant Meatball. This recipe is a LOT like my mother-in-law's meatballs.  Nuff said.

Preheat oven to 350.
4 medium size green peppers. I buy the cheap ones that are starting to turn yellow or red. They're better anyway.

Bowl A: Mix all together.
1 c cooked brown or white rice
1 lb ground beef, hopefully grass fed
2 eggs
1 chopped onion
1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs (or add a tsp Italian seasoning to regular crumbs)
1/2 c Parmesan
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp each salt and pepper

Bowl B: Mix all together
4 c tomato sauce, purée or passato
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
Pinch cayenne
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Extra Parmesan
Opt: mozzarella or provolone

Halve peppers through the stem, removing stem seeds and ribs. Blanche in boiling water for 2 min. Drain and set aside.

Salt and pepper the inside of the green pepper boats.
Pack the peppers with meat from Bowl A and place in a casserole dish. They shouldn't leave much space. Pour sauce from Bowl B over peppers, coating the whole pepper. Sauce will come up the sides. You'll want all the sauce.

Mound some parmesan on top of each stuffed pepper and bake for 1 hour 15 min.

Toss a loaf of bread in the oven the last 10 min to get crusty.

Remove from oven. Afterward I like to throw some bits of  shredded mozzarella or provolone on top to melt while it cools enough to eat. Serve with extra sauce.
Should serve 4-6 but make extra. Tried to take a picture but bowls were cleaned before I knew it!

Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Arugula Salad

Wow. That's what. Wow.

Yes I was in the kitchen playing today. Made yogurt. Made flatbread. Made butter. It was fun. While I played, here and there I assembled the ingredients for dinner. 

Throw three red peppers in the toaster oven on some foil at 350. Turn a third-turn every 20 min or so till all crusty black. When done take out and loosely wrap in the foil. Squishing is perfectly ok.

Let em sit.  Maybe watch a rerun of the West Wing.

Some other time during the day throw 2 1/2 cups quinoa and 5 cups water in a pot. Add 2 tsp good salt. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer 15 min. Set aside.


Think I'll have a cappuccino...

Later take half a sweet potato, grated, half an onion, minced, a few sundried tomatoes, slivered, and some chopped spinach....and set aside.  All the actors are on the stage...the stage is set... here we go!

When you're ready, just mix the veggies, the quinoa, and an egg. Make patties on parchment or in round cookie cutters on a sheet pan. Bake at 400 for 20-30 min or till browned.  Parchment is HIGHLY recommended as the quinoa needs to get crusty and will stick, ruining your perfect circles.

Meanwhile those peppers that smell so great,.. Peel off the skins now that they're floppy and throw the pepper flesh in a chopper with a clove garlic and a tbsp capers. Purée till smooth.

Lastly wash some Arugula and set aside. Your vinaigrette is the juice of a lemon, half as much olive oil, and a couple tsp agave nectar, or honey, or even sugar. Whip up and salt to taste. Dress salad.

Serve restaurant style... Smear some red sauce on the plate. Set a cake on the sauce and top with some salad.  Even better cold for lunch tomorrow. And say Ooh La La!!

Ingredient list
a bunch of arugula
3 red bell peppers
2 1/2 c quinoa
half a sweet potato
half a yellow onion
2 tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes
1 c chopped fresh spinach
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp capers
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 c)
olive oil
2 tsp honey, sugar or agave

Gadgets:
grater
knife and chopping board
pot to boil arugula
toaster oven
foil
parchment