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Angel Hair Pasta Recipes
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Orecchiette with Snow Peas and Prosciutto
Pasta Salad Alfredo
Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Mushrooms, and Peas
Hay and StrawOrecchiette with Snow Peas and Prosciutto
From The Ultimate Pasta Cookbook (Canada, UK), by Pasquale Bruno Jr.
This is an adaptation of a dish that I had a number of years ago in a small trattoria in Parma, Italy. I recall that tender young fresh peas were used, so use them if possible.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup reduced-sodium canned chicken broth
1 cup shelled green peas or frozen peas
3/4 pound orecchiette pasta
3 ounces imported prosciutto, sliced thin and torn into
1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheeseInstructions:
In a sauté pan or skillet large enough to hold all of the pasta after it has been cooked, warm the olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook and stir for 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and the peas. Reduce the heat and simmer until the peas are tender — about 10 minutes. (If using frozen peas, simmer for only 2 minutes.) Take the pan off the heat.
Pour 4 quarts of water into a large pot. Bring the water to a boil. Add 2 tsp of salt to the water. Plunge the pasta into the pot and stir at once, and again while it is cooking. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain well and add the pasta to the sauté pan. Add the prosciutto and the basil. Toss to combine. Divide the pasta among four heated pasta bowls. Sprinkle an equal amount of cheese over each serving.
Yield: Serves 4
From The Clueless Gourmet (Canada, UK), by Allison Marx.
Make this recipe with rotini, bows, or shells. Serve it as one course of many on a cold buffet. You can substitute 1 cup diced ham or 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon if you can't find prosciutto.
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 Tbsp oil or butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups frozen peas
1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
1 pint cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated parmesan
White pepperInstructions:
After you cook the pasta, drain it and rinse in cool water to cool the pasta. Place the pasta in a bowl and toss it with the oil and garlic. Add the peas and set aside. The peas will defrost when the hot sauce is added. If the peas are very icy, rinse in water first to melt the ice, then add them to the pasta. Add the prosciutto to the pasta.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream and egg yolks. Stir with a fork or whisk to blend. Cook over a low heat until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the sauce to the pasta and toss. Add the Parmesan to the pasta and toss. Season with pepper and serve.
Variations:
Add 1 cup sautéed mushrooms (that is, at least 2-1/2 cups mushrooms before you sauté them).
Add 1 cup steamed asparagus, cut in 1- to 2-inch pieces, a dash Tabasco or cayenne pepper, and 1 cup steamed or sautéed thinly sliced leeks.
Add 1/3 cup raw, minced red onion; 1/2 cup diced roasted pepper; 1 cup diced, cooked chicken; 1 cup cooked, chopped spinach; and a dash of nutmeg.
The more meat and vegetables you add, the heartier the dish. For a main-course dinner for four, try adding asparagus and chicken. For carbonara, use bacon and mushrooms.
Yield: Serves 8
Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Mushrooms, and Peas
From The Good Food: Soups, Stews and Pastas (Canada, UK), by Daniel Halpern and Julie Strand.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup young fresh peas or 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 pound prosciutto, cut into julienne strips (you may substitute smoked ham if absolutely necessary)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup grated ParmesanInstructions:
In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels.
Add the butter and oil to the skillet and when the butter has melted and is sizzling add the mushrooms and cook until their liquid is released, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Turn up the heat and cook until that liquid has evaporated, another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cream, peas, 1 Tbsp of the chopped fresh parsley, the prosciutto, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the cream has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a kettle, bring 5 quarts water to a boil and add 1 Tbsp of salt and the vegetable oil. Add the fettuccine, stir, and cook until al dente. Drain thoroughly and place in a serving bowl. Toss with the Parmesan and then with the sauce (reheated if necessary). Try to time it so the sauce and the pasta are finished at the same time. Garnish with the remaining 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
From The Hors d'Oeuvre Bible (Canada, UK), by David Paul Larousse.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound tagliarini
1/2 pound spinach tagliarini
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3/4 cup ground sausage meat
1/4 cup prosciutto, sliced paper-thin and cut into 1-inch julienne
1 cup green peas (fresh frozen)
1/2 cup rich chicken or veal stock, hot
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
grated Parmesan cheeseInstructions:
Blanch the peas (if fresh) in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter for several minutes. Add the sausage, prosciutto, and peas, and cook several minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the tagliarini in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, and toss with the ham and pea mixture, stock, and olive oil, and serve with grated cheese.
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