When you say gnocchi, most people think of the potato-based dumpling that is so delicious when expertly prepared. I once took a class on how to make the little devils and the instructor's rules for preparations were numerous and unwavering. I have to admit, I enjoy the vacuum-sealed variety as well and it's uses are innumerable. But, gnocchi can also refer to one of my other favorite delicacies, gnocchi alla Romana, or these lovely little ricotta gnocchi. I have several similar recipes, but the one I prepared came from The Splendid Table and is a cinch to complete. They can even be done a couple of days in advance, held in the fridge then simmered and placed on top of a sauce--the recipe says lightly tossing them, but they are very delicate. Of course, a fresh tomato sauce is always delicious, but think about these other options: a creamy tomato sauce; a light mushroom broth with fresh spinach or peas; a sauce of olives, capers and basil; a lovely pea pesto; a pan sauce of lemons, spinach and peas; and so on and so on and so on. Paired with a crunch salad and some bread, who wouldn't be happy to be served a lovely bowl of these cheesy Italian pillows?
Chickenless Noodle Soup
Winter is coming...and it's time for soup! I don't know why, but I keep thinking about Campbell's. Campbell's chicken noodle soup. I loved it when I was a young person, because it was one of those things I could "make" for myself. Sure, you opened up the can, dumped it into a pan and just heated it up. But, it felt so grown up. Sometimes, you would add milk instead of water to make a creamy soup. Other times, you loaded it so full of crackers that it soaked up all of the broth and you just ended up with this wet, starchy deliciousness. I want that soup.
As a vegetarian, I have eaten a lot of analog meatless products--both purchased and made--but I really like Beyond Meat Beyond Chicken. And they aren't paying me to say this with a year's supply of product or anything. It's simple and easy to use on pizza, in salad, with pasta and in tacos. So I was thinking, why not chicken noodle soup?
For my broth, I used a combination of chicken flavored vegetarian broth and a kombu dashi; added onion, carrots and celery; finally pasta rings, Beyond Meat and herbs. Simple, nourishing...and nostalgic. It was memory in a bowl.
Recipe: Chickenless Noodle Soup
- Three pieces kombu seaweed
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 stalks of celery, trimmed, halved a thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 32-ounce container No-chicken broth
- 3-4 twigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 pound small pasta Os, noodles, broken spaghetti, ditalini or even orzo
- Salt to taste
- 1 9-oz package Beyond Chicken, thawed enough to slice and shred
To make the dashi:
Rinse the kombu and wipe gently with a cloth, but not too much--the powdery coating is what helps add flavor to the dashi. Place in a saucepan with four cups of cold water; let stand for 15 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and slowly warm the water to just below boiling, about 10 minuts. Do not boil! Turn off the heat, remove the kombu and strain the dashi into a measuring cup.
To make the soup:
In a heavy stockpot or Dutch, combine the onion, carrots and celery with the olive oil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the thyme, broth and dashi, then simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the thyme twigs, but keep the leaves. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the Beyond Chicken lengthwise, then shred the pieces with your hand or a fork. Add to the soup and simmer until warm. Serve in large bowls with big spoons and saltine crackers.
Peas Be With You
This pea pesto is a classic recipe I've used and revised for years, serving to a myriad of friends and guests. It's simple and delicious, letting the sweetness of the peas sing through about spring and the warm days ahead. Use as much freshly ground black pepper as you can stand as the spiciness only make the peas that much more delicious. And what to serve with the pesto? I created a lavish tomato salad with as many varieties as I could find at the store and dressed them with a vinaigrette and some quick-pickled fennel--topping it off with a sprinkling of fresh fennel fronds. Olives could have been a natural addition as well.
Recipe: Pea Pesto
1 (10-ounce) package fresh peas (frozen works just as well too in the winter)
3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans
zest and juice of one lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grates Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta such as penne or other tubular pasta
Put the water onto boil, cooking the pasta according to direction. Cook the peas until soft and bright green. Combine the peas, garlic, pecans, zest, lemon juice and olive olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape the pesto into a big serving bowl and add cheese, salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting seasoning.
Reserving one-half cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and add to the serving bowl. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding a little of the pasta water to smooth the sauce. Taste for seasoning. Serve in big pasta bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of cheese and little more freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe: Pickled Fennel
1 fennel bulb, fronds removed and reserved, halved and cored then thinly sliced
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tabespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
Place the fennel in a airtight, sealable container. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, then pour over the fennel. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then seal and chill in the fridge for at least twenty-four hours. Drain, reserving the brine for use in your vinaigrette.