Last Tuesday, Aaron and I arrived in
our new apartment. For 6-9 months we will call San Angelo, Texas home.
It is definitely a nice change to
have two bedrooms and bathrooms. Not to mention a couch! I do not miss our
studio apartment on the seventh floor. We even have a "porch" here. Worth it.
It wasn't until Friday that we
finally got our stuff, including most importantly my kitchen stuff. No one told
me how good it feels to open all the new things you got on your wedding
registry. I love everything from my Kitchen Aid mixer to the set of dessert
bowls.
Because of that, my WIAW is a bit light today. This is the only meal I've photographed other than a grainy one of Thai food on a hotel bed. It's sad. I hope you will forgive this transgression. I'm so happy to have my kitchen back!
I’m still low on some of those
“essentials” you eventually stock up on when you’ve lived in a kitchen for a
while. Unfortunately when moving, all those nearly empty bottles and packages
that would give your recipe the exact “umph” it needs, doesn’t get packed by
DoD movers. They don’t pack cleaning supplies either…or alcohol.
The next day I ended up breaking out
that mixer and making my very own pasta. Anyone know how to make noodles with
your mixer?
But when I made this recipe, I relied
on what I had for a lunch for one. I felt like getting creative and after
binge-watching Master Chef Juniors while unpacking, I decided to quick-fry some
kale and shiitake mushrooms to top my rigatoni during my first recipe in my new
kitchen.
I love homemade kale chips, so I
thought, wouldn’t a nice topping of extra crispy kale and mushrooms be
delicious on a creamy base of pasta? Yep. If you have some extra time and want
to omit the oil, you can definitely bake the kale pieces. But…the mushrooms won’t
get crispy in the oven easily.
These crispy vegetables would also be
awesome topping on a number of recipes.
This isn’t my normal everyday lunch
obviously. This would be an impressive special occasion meal (that actually
isn’t hard) with the addition of crispy prosciutto, even fresh cherry tomatoes.
The Parmesan sauce is little decadent, but hey, if you eat like me on a normal
basis, you deserve it. And your guests will be super impressed with this
multiple textured meal.
You’ve got crispy, chewy, and fresh. No molecular gastronomy
required….
Crispy Kale and Shiitake
Parmesan
Rigatoni
(Makes 2 meal servings)
Ingredients:
8oz. Dry Rigatoni
Water and salt for boiling
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. milk
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Sea salt
Zest of one lemon
1 cup kale, shredded into 2 inch
square pieces
5-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut
into 1 inch pieces, stems cut in half
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
In medium pot, bring salted water to
a boil. Add pasta to water, return to boil and cook until al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile in saucepan, heat vegetable
oil over medium high. Working in batches, carefully toss in kale and stand back
as oil will spit. Cook until oil stops spitting and kale is crispy and dark in
appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and season
with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and lemon zest.
Repeat with remaining
kale and shiitake. Mushrooms will take a little longer than kale to fry. Wait
until kale is finished and oil is at it's hottest and fry for 3-5 minutes,
until crispy. Set aside.
Once pasta is cooked and drained,
toss in butter, milk and cheese until coated. Season with lemon zest, and
desired salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Transfer pasta to plates and top with
kale, mushrooms, remaining lemon juice and more cheese if desired.
Serve immediately so pasta stays hot
and kale remains crispy.
(Tip: for easier cleanup, use a bowl
instead of hot pan to mix sauce and cheese will congeal to pan.)
Love,
The Cuisiner
What is one of your favorite
unexpected dishes to make?
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