Yummy Pork Ziti

This summer, I decided to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share with two friends.  Every Tuesday, we get to pick up our veggies at the farmers' market near my house. Last week was the first pick-up and I was so excited to see all of the gorgeous produce. One of the items included was a beautiful bunch of rainbow chard. Never having cooked with it before, I set out on a hunt for an interesting recipe. I stumbled across this gem and had to give it a try. I am a big fan of mustard of any kind (seriously, it's the perfect condiment), I always like thyme, and who doesn't love a good pasta dish?

The rundown:

• Flavor/texture: The bold flavors of the thyme and mustard worked very well with the pork. At the same time, they didn't overwhelm the more delicate flavor of the greens. 
• Difficulty: No muss, no fuss! I whipped this one up in less than half an hour. How's that for a 30-minute meal?
• Pros: Tasty, easy and quick. The trifecta of weeknight cooking, not to mention that it was a great way to incorporate veggies into a new recipe.  The recipe is also very adaptable. You could use chicken instead of pork or substitute almost any variety of dark/bitter greens for the escarole.
• Cons: The recipe was intended for four people, but it yielded more than enough for six.  I don't like to have more than one meal of leftovers, so I would recommend halving the recipe.
• Misc.: I used rainbow chard in place of the escarole, since that is what I had on hand. I used a grainy Dijon mustard and upped the quantity to more like two tablespoons instead of teaspoons. Taste the sauce and season it as you like. Make sure that your pork is just done, so that it stays tender. Now that the USDA has acknowledged that pork need only be cooked to 145 degrees, it's ok if there's a little pink in the middle.  Letting the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing will allow the cooking process to finish up gently. Start your pasta water as the first step. The pasta takes longer than everything else added together.
• Repeat Performance: I don't eat a great deal of pork, but this recipe will definitely go into the rotation.

Ziti with Pork and Escarole in Creamy Thyme Sauce

Food & Wine, January 1997

1 lb pork tenderloin

salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lb escarole, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (about 4 cups)

1 shallot or 2 scallions, including green tops, chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp grainy or Dijon mustard

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 pound dry ziti pasta

Cut the pork into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook the pork until just barely done, about 1 minute per side. Remove the pork from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin strips.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the escarole, shallot/green onion, 1/4 of the salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper and cook, stirring until the escarole wilts, about 1 minute. Add the broth and thyme. Simmer until the broth is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and cream and bring to a simmer. Add the pork and any accumulated juices to the sauce. Remove from heat.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the ziti until al dente (10-12 minutes). Drain and toss pasta with the sauce.

Grab some crusty bread and dig in!

Great Food, Fast

I think old man winter was making a point with today's cold and dreary weather.  Winter in Michigan is not quite over yet. On my lunch break today, I took a field trip to my favorite specialty grocer, G.B. Russo. I was supposed to be looking for a new tart pan and a good bottle of balsamic vinegar, but instead I found myself aimlessly cruising the aisles. Then I looked down at my cart and realized that maybe my wandering hadn't been so random, after all. I had picked up pasta, grated parmesan, and prosciutto; the makings for a winter blah-busting carbonara!

If you've never had carbonara, it's unbelievable and incredibly easy to make.  It comes together in less than twenty minutes. I guaranteed you'll be addicted. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. Since carbonara has so few ingredients, make sure to use the highest quality that you can.  Freshly grated parmesan does indeed taste a world different than the stuff in the green container.

The first time I made carbonara, I worried about the eggs.  Could it really have raw eggs in it?  The answer is yes and no. The sauce is simply hot water, egg and cheese. The egg is added to the hot pasta while it's removed from the heat.  The water from the pasta and the heat of the pasta itself help to cook the egg, albeit at a very low temperature.  The eggs reach a safe temperature in the dish so that they aren't considered raw. If you pay attention to the sauce, you'll notice the slight consistency and color changes as the egg cooks. That being said, I wouldn't feed carbonara to a very young child or anyone with immune system issues, just to be on the safe side.

My favorite carbonara recipe is from an old issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It calls for bacon, but I used prosciutto instead because I like it better. I also realized I didn't have any leeks, so I sauteed some onion instead. I always add a few grinds of black pepper to my pasta as well. 

Orecchiette Carbonara from Bon Appetit Magazine, April 2008

4 slices bacon, diced
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/3 inch pieces
10 ounces orecchiette pasta or small shells
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. Leave 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet.  Add leeks and saute over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Turn off heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to leeks in skillet and stir to heat. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes (Return skillet to VERY low heat if eggs are runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle). Add some of the remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to the skillet if needed to moisten. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.

YUM!