Pasta with Pecorino Herb Walnut Sauce via Savoring Every Bites’ Blog

You gotta visit Savoring Every Bites’ blog. It gets a big four out of four cans of chew from the Hillbilly. (That means it is really good).

http://savoringeverybite.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/pasta-with-pecorino-herb-walnut-sauce/

Pasta with Pecorino Herb Walnut Sauce

1/2 lb. dried pasta

1 cup walnuts

Small bunch of fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

Combine the walnuts, parsley and cheese in a food processor. Process while slowly adding in the olive oil. The mixture should be crumbly; not wet as a pesto. Set aside. Can be made several hours ahead, refrigerate until needed.

Cook the pasta in a large pot seasoned with kosher salt according to the directions on the package until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce in a large skillet heating 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add in the the walnut mixure and toast lightly, stirring often, do not allow to burn. Add in the cream, allow to simmer gently, stirring well. Stir in a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to blend the sauce to a rich thickness. Drain the pasta (reserving some more cooking water) and add to the skillet, tossing gently. Add in additional reserved pasta water if pasta seems dry, tossing to continue to combine the sauce well. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with additional grated Pecorino. Makes 2 for dinner or 3-4 for appetizer.

The Hillbillly Food Blog?

Ok, this is starting to get out of hand. Maybe I can balance food and politics by posting a beer home brew recipe! But for now, check out this pasta dish that is posted from Back Roads Blog.

http://backroadjournal.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/orecchiette-pasta-with-broccoli-rabe-and-sausage/#comment-4107

Orecchiette Pasta With Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In the meantime, trim off the thick woody part of the stems of a large bunch of broccoli rabe (also known as rapini). Cut the broccoli into 2 to 3 inch pieces, adding the stems to the boiling water before the leaves. After a minute or two, add the tops of the broccoli rabe and cook for about one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl. Save the water and return to a boil. Add 1/2 pound of orecchiette to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Take 1/4 to 1/2 pound of sausage and cut into bite size pieces or remove from the casing and brown until just cooked through. Add 1/4 c. olive oil to the pan and then sauté 1/2 chopped small onion until soft. Add 2 to 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is al dente add to the broccoli and sausage. Save a cup of the pasta water. Add a large handful of Parmesan or pecorino cheese and toss. If pasta appears dry, add some of the reserved pasta water or some extra olive oil.

In less than 30 minutes, you have a tasty pasta dish on your table that could be found on many a table in the Italian countryside.