Pasta Arrabiata

Last Year's Post: Coconut-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Rice
Two Years Ago:  Sesame Seed Chicken Salad

Arrabbiata is a spicy sauce for pasta made from garlic, tomatoes, and red chili peppers cooked in olive oil.   The word "arrabbiata" literally means angry in Italian, which supposedly is a reference to the spiciness of the sauce.  If that's true, this recipe is more grumpy than angry - it's mildly to moderately spicy depending on how much crushed red pepper you add.  Additional depth of flavor comes from the paprika and optional pepperoncini without adding a lot of heat.  I just happened to have a jar of pepperoncini in my refrigerator (no idea why) so I added some, but didn't notice it in the finished dish so I listed it as optional.  I don't think it's worth buying an entire jar just for this recipe.

In addition to being spicy, Arrabbiata recipes often include black olives and capers to give it additional flavor and texture.  I particularly like the salty pop of the capers.

Because the sauce is relatively light, it's important to throw the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and toss it around for a couple of minutes.  This allows the sauce to evenly coat all of the pasta and infuse it with flavor.  I've heard Lidia Bastianich, one of the foremost Italian cooks in America, state that this step is so important that she wouldn't finish pasta any other way. I've discovered there's only one caution to this approach - add the cooked pasta to the sauce gradually unless you're very sure of your pasta-to-sauce ratio.  If you dump it all in at once and decide it was too much pasta for the amount of sauce, you're up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

This is a simple, fast healthy and light pasta dish that won't weigh you down but is perfect comfort food on a cold night.  And, it even qualifies for meatless Mondays.

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Pasta Arrabbiata

Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

¼ - ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, depending on your preference

½ teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 tablespoons stemmed, seeded and minced pepperoncini (optional)

1 28-ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes

1 pound hot cooked pasta

Grated Parmesan Reggiano

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olives, capers, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, red pepper flakes, paprika, anchovy paste and pepperoncini and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan to the sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.   

Summer Pasta Salad with Fresh Tuna

I've been posting quite a few salad recipes lately but I can't help it.  I love salads and they're so perfect for summer.  This version has pasta and grilled fresh tuna together with a lot of veggies so it's very healthy and very easy.  If you don't like grilled tuna you could always substitute a high-quality canned tuna or even grilled chicken and it would be equally good.  I just like to have fish on the menu at least once or twice a week because it's good for you and it gives variety to your diet.

Growing up in the Midwest we typically cooked all meats until they were shoe leather so we wouldn't get trichinosis or salmonella or whatever.  I had a revelation about tuna when I was attending a sales meeting on east coast at a seafood restaurant and was planning to order the tuna.  The guy sitting across from me lived in Maine and was an avid sport fisherman.  He looked at me and said "please don't order it medium-well or well done".  Really?  He explained that high quality tuna should be eaten raw, rare or medium-rare for the best flavor and texture.  I wasn't too sure about rare so I ordered medium-rare and was pleasantly surprised.  Since then I've progressed to rare on occasion but I'm still not a sushi person.  I've tried it several times but the texture gets me every time - it's just too mushy.  Don't get me wrong, I really want to like sushi.  I feel like any foodie worth their salt should like sushi.  I see little kids eating sushi in restaurants all the time, but the best I can manage is a California roll.  Embarrassing but true.  Anyway, buy the best quality tuna you can find - preferably fresh - and don't overcook it.

sashimi grade fresh yellowfin tuna

You could make this salad at any time of the year if you just substitute frozen corn for fresh - the rest of the ingredients are available year-round.  I used whole-wheat penne to boost the fiber a little more.  The salad can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

* * click here for a printable recipe * *

Summer Pasta Salad with Fresh Tuna
Serves 4

8 oz penne (regular or whole wheat)
1 lb fresh tuna steak, about ¾” thick
¼ cup olive oil
1 ear of fresh corn, husk and silk removed
1 jar (6-7 oz) roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1/3 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
2 lemons
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Salt and pepper


Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the corn. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot and immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. After a minute or two, remove the corn from the water, pat dry, and cut the kernels from the cob.

In the same pot of boiling water, cook the penne until al dente. When the pasta is done drain it, rinse under cool water, and drain again.

In a large bowl combine the olive oil, peppers, red pepper flakes, corn, zucchini, olives, and parsley. Add the juice of one of the lemons. Mix again and add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat a grill to highest heat. Grill the tuna for 1-2 minutes per side until it has nice grill marks but is still rare to medium-rare in the middle. Let rest for a few minutes, then cut in thin slices.

Serve the tuna slices on top of the pasta salad and garnish with chives. Cut the remaining lemon into quarters and serve with the salads.

Swordfish en Papillote

Cooking something "en papillote" (pronounced en pa-pee-oh) is French for cooking it "in parchment" - basically cooking in a paper pouch to seal in moisture.  If you happen to be Italian, you would call it "al cartoccio".  Not only is it a great cooking method for delicate seafood or poultry because the food remains nice and moist, it's also high drama for dinner guests.  You serve the sealed pouches at the table so each guest can tear theirs open and breath the wonderful aromas.  People react as though they're opening a present - it's really fun.

When I was a kid in Girl Scouts we wrapped potaotes, onions and hamburgers in aluminum foil and grilled them over a campfire.  Basically it's the same thing although we called them hobo packets.  OK, probably some of you that know me well are scratching your heads at the thought of me as a Girl Scout.  Technically, I was a Brownie and didn't last long enough to be a Girl Scout.  I disliked selling cookies to strangers and thought the brown uniform was too ugly for words.  The green Girl Scout uniform is the second ugliest outfit in the world.  Why did someone think they should dress girls in tree colors?

Sorry, back to recipes.  This one features tender, moist swordfish and linguine in a very flavorful Mediterranean sauce that includes tomatoes, capers, roasted red peppers, and black olives.  The taste is as spectacular as the colorful presentation.

wax paper version

You can use either parchment paper or wax paper for your pouches - parchment paper is more traditional but wax paper shows off the beautiful colors.

parchment version

The only trick is how to cut and wrap the paper to ensure it looks pretty and stays sealed.  I'll show you step by step in the recipe below.

If you don't like swordfish you could try this with any fish you like, or with chicken breasts. As I said, the beauty is that the fish or meat is fully cooked but still very moist because it basically steams in the pouch.  The sauce recipe makes more than you'll need so you can have the leftovers on pasta later that week with a little parmesan sprinkled on top.  Yum.

* * click here for a printable recipe copy * *

Swordfish en Papillote
Serves 4

Note: this recipe makes about 1 quart of sauce. You will have leftover sauce that can be used to top pasta or chicken for another meal.

1 28 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons of rinsed and drained capers
½ cup roasted red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
12 pitted and sliced kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ lb dried linguini
4 large sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper or brown paper lunch bags
4 (5-6 oz) swordfish steaks

Drain the tomatoes and slice thinly lengthwise. Place in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add oregano, parsley, garlic, onion, capers, peppers, olives, lemon juice, pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Stire gently to mix and set aside at least one hour for flavors to blend.

Preheat oven to 450d.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook linguini until al dente. Drain and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Reserve.

Trim the skin off the swordfish steaks and trim away any dark red areas. Salt and pepper on both sides.

Fold each sheet of parchment or waxed paper in half. Place the fold on the bottom edge. Starting at the right side, cut a large semi-circle with the fold as the spine and one end more pointed then the other.

Open the paper and place a small pile of linguini on one side, close to the fold. Top with a spoonful of tomato sauce to moisten the linguini. Lay a piece of swordfish on top and add another spoon of sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Fold the other half of the paper over the fish. Starting at the flatter end of the semicircle (not the pointy end), fold 1-2 inches of the edge inwards. Work your way around the circle making a series of tight, overlapping folds to enclose the fish. When you reach the pointy edge, fold the last pleat several times and wrap it under the pouch.

(Alternately, place a small square of parchment or waxed paper on the bottom of four paper lunch bags, add the ingredients as described, and fold over the tops of the bags.)

wax paper version

parchment paper version

Place all bags or pouches on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. To serve, transfer the bags to 4 dinner plates and let each diner cut open the package to enjoy the aromas.

Roasted Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives

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Remember those tomatoes you roasted last summer?  This recipe is a great way to showcase them, not to mention that it makes a delicious light dinner with a salad and some crusty bread.  It's a good counter-balance to all those heavy dinners that are so prevalent at this time of the year, and it also makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.  If you didn't quite get around to roasting tomatoes last summer, it's OK because the recipe contains instructions for starting with fresh tomatoes.  They'll still taste great because roasting brings out all the flavors and sugars even in grocery store tomatoes.

This tart would also be good served for an easy brunch entree if you happen to be entertaining at this time of the year.  I like making it in a tart pan with a removeable bottom because it makes it easier to cut - I always have trouble getting the first piece out of a regular pie pan.  If you don't have a 9" tart pan you can use a pie pan instead.

Goat cheese gives the tart a mildly tangy flavor.  If you don't care for goat cheese you could certainly substitute any other cheese of your choice.  But if you haven't tasted goat cheese, give it a try.  The flavor is mild because it's mixed with mozzarella and it's a great complement to the olive, tomato, and fresh thyme flavors in the tart. 

I've really been trying to stretch myself when it comes to eating new foods, especially healthy foods.  I recently tried some brussel sprouts that The Lawyer's Sister #2 prepared for Thanksgiving and discovered that I really do like them when they're sliced and sauteed. My open-minded attitude still doesn't extend as far as raw oysters, however.  Slimy slippery disgusting little gray things.  Bleh.

Note that the recipe simply calls for a pie crust without mentioning the origin of said crust.  I knew I was on a slippery slope between the ardent pie-crust-makers on one side and the equally ardent pie-crust-in-a-box people on the other.  I didn't even want to get into that debate because you can't win.  It's sort of like discussing politics.  I still want to put my friend Ted (the Conservative) and my mom (the Liberal) in a closet and see who comes out alive.  I'm betting on mom.  She's little but she's feisty.

If you have roasted tomatoes in your freezer, pat yourself on the back and skip the first paragraph. 


* * click here for a printable recipe * *

Roasted Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives

Serves 6-8

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5 roma tomatoes, cored, halved lengthwise and seeded
Salt and pepper

1 pie crust

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup soft fresh plain goat cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 large eggs
¼ cup half and half
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ cup pitted kalamata or nicoise olives, halved
3 tblespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

To Roast the Tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 350d. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush foil with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Place the tomato halves, cut side up, on the baking sheet.  Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 2 hours until shrunken and somewhat dried.  Cool tomatoes on the sheet.  (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.)

To Prepare the Tart

Transfer the pie crust to a 9 inch tart pan or pie pan, pressing pastry firmly onto the bottom and sides of the pan.  Fold overhang in and press, pushing the crust slightly above the pan.  Pierce the crust all over with a fork and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Preheat the oven to 375d.  Line the pastry with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake until the crust is set, about 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans and bake until the crust edges are golden, about 12 minutes longer.  Cool the crust 10 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 350d.

Meanwhile, mash the mozzarella, goat cheese, and thyme together using a fork.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add eggs and half-and-half and stir until well blended.  Spread cheese filling evenly in the crust.  Arrange tomato halves (cut side up) and olive halves evenly over the filling.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on the top.  Bake until the filling is puffed and set, about 35 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes.  Serve the tart warm.