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Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 3

Pasta in Walnut Cream

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This recipe was inspired by a pasta dish my Merry Band of Tasters and I enjoyed at Dal Sor Francesco, a restaurant in Vetralla near the Colli Etruschi mill that we try to visit every year. We arrived at the height of fresh walnut season and saw the nuts everywhere. Walnut sauce is actually a specialty of Liguria, a region in northern Italy, where it’s prepared in a pesto style. My version is a bit creamier but still takes only a few minutes to make.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fusilli or other spiral-shaped pasta
  • 1 cup shelled walnuts 
  • 1 garlic clove 
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional garnish: freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Step 1

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it’s boiling, heat a large frying pan. When the pan is hot, add the walnuts and toast until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Reserve and coarsely chop 1/4 cup of the toasted walnuts. Add the rest of the walnuts and the garlic to a food processor and process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add in the half-and-half, olive oil, and cheese, and pulse until you get a sauce. Transfer the sauce to the frying pan and heat to a simmer.

Step 2

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Add the pasta, salt, and pepper to the frying pan, and toss well. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time (it shouldn’t be runny). Garnish with the reserved walnuts and a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired.

Serves 4

Vietnamese-Style Cucumber Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Inspired by the ingredients in a traditional Vietnamese summer roll, this is a zesty salad that’s hearty enough for a meal any time of the year. To make the recipe your own, choose the types of cucumber and chiles you like best.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cucumbers 
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce such as Mae Ploy (available at Asian markets)
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 chile, such as jalapeño, serrano, or poblano, depending on heat preference, stemmed and chopped 
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 2 scallions, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 Hass avocados, ripe but still firm
  • 1 pound cooked jumbo shrimp 
  • 1/3 cup peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Step 1

If using thin English or Persian cucumbers, slice them into 1/4-inch discs; if using thicker cukes, cut them in half lengthwise, then into half-moon shapes about 1/4-inch thick. Place the slices in a large colander set over a large bowl or in the sink and sprinkle with the salt; toss well. Allow the cucumbers to sweat for about 15 minutes, then rinse to remove extra salt and shake well. 

Step 2

In a large glass bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, and sweet chili sauce. Add in the cucumbers, red onion, chile, carrots, and scallions, and toss to combine. Cut the avocados into small cubes and halve each shrimp lengthwise from top to tail; fold both into the cucumber salad along with the peanuts and herbs. Allow the mixture to marinate for about 20 minutes, then serve at room temperature.

Yields 4 servings

Insalata Torre a Cona

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

My Merry Band of Tasters and I enjoyed this vibrant mixed salad at the historic Torre a Cona estate just outside Florence. It’s dressed with a light vinaigrette that enhances the pepperiness and bitterness of the lettuces.

Ingredients

  • One bulb fennel, about 16 ounces
  • 5 ounces radishes, very thinly sliced
  • One 12-ounce head of radicchio, cut into ribbons
  • 6 ounces frisée or curly endive
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Trim the bottom off the fennel bulb, then use a mandoline (or a thin food processor slicing blade or the slicing side of a box grater) to shave it into thin slices. Mince a few fronds and add them with the fennel to a large salad bowl along with the radishes, radicchio, and frisée. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well with tongs. Run a cheese plane across the surface of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to create wide shavings and scatter them on top of the salad.

Serves 6 to 8

Glazed Carrots and Pearl Onions

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This simple technique concentrates all the sweetness of the two vegetables as it creates a light glaze for the perfect finish.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds carrots, scrubbed and peeled if needed
  • 1 pound pearl onions, peeled (see Quick Kitchen Nugget in weekly newsletter)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Cut the carrots on the diagonal into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Place them in a large frying pan along with the peeled onions. Add enough cold water to just cover them. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Immediately lower the heat to a low boil and add the olive oil, butter, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes until all the water has evaporated and the vegetables have a shiny glaze. A knife should be able to easily pierce a few carrots. (If they’re not tender enough once the liquid has nearly evaporated, add another cup of water and continue cooking.) Just before serving, sprinkle with the parsley and drizzle with olive oil.

Yields 8 servings