Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (7 page)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

Zest the lemon and combine it with the cream in a small sauce pot. Heat over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling.

Place the parsley leaves, nuts, cheese, and garlic in a food processor. Squeeze the zested lemon into the bowl. Turn the processor on and stream in the EVOO with the motor running to make a pesto.

Drain the pasta.

Place the pesto in the bottom of a large pasta serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir the hot cream into the pesto, then add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve with a green salad.

American-Italian All'Amatriciana

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana—with pancetta, onion, garlic, and tomato—is an old favorite. This is an American-Italian cousin of the Italian classic, a smoky, salty, satisfying supper. I use cassarecci pasta, a shape similar to cavatelli, but any tubular pasta is fine.

SERVES 4 to 6

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

While the pasta water is heating up, heat the EVOO in a deep skillet over medium-high. Add the bacon and crisp for 4 to 5 minutes, then add the onions and garlic and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the stock, then the tomatoes, and season with pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce and parsley. Serve topped with shredded sharp white cheddar.

SERVES 4

Mix the vinegar and sugar in the bottom of a salad bowl and whisk in the EVOO. Add the slaw mix. Chop the fennel fronds and add to the cabbage, then quarter the fennel bulb, cut away the core, and thinly slice the bulb. Add to the cabbage. Add the celery and basil to the salad, toss to combine, and season liberally with salt and pepper.

I love the classic pasta alla Norma, but making the roasted version cuts way back on the amount of oil you have to use. This way I can have seconds!

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut 4 to 5 slits on one side of the eggplant and place it slit side up on a rimmed baking sheet.

Trim off the top third of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with a tablespoon of the EVOO, wrap it up, and place it and the eggplant in the oven. Roast them both for about 45 minutes, until the eggplant looks like a flat tire and the garlic is tender.

When the eggplant and garlic have been in the oven for 15 minutes, put the grape tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle them with a tablespoon of the EVOO, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Place a large pot of water over high heat with a lid on it and bring up to a boil. Once it is boiling, salt the water and add the pasta; cook to al dente. Heads up: right before draining the pasta, ladle about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the bottom of a large pasta bowl.

While the pasta is cooking, use a sharp knife to cut the ends and the skin off the orange. Slice it into disks. Arrange the arugula on a serving platter and scatter the orange and onion slices on top. Squeeze the lemon half directly over the orange slices, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, and season with salt and pepper.

When the vegetables are all roasted, split the eggplant open and scoop the roasted flesh into the serving bowl with the pasta water. Add the roasted tomatoes. Squeeze the roasted garlic flesh from the papery skins into the bowl with the eggplant and tomatoes. With a large wooden spoon or a potato masher, smash up the eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic until thoroughly combined. Season with some salt and pepper, add the pasta and basil, and toss for a minute. Serve in shallow bowls topped with lots of grated or crumbled ricotta salata.

Meat and potatoes, Italian style, in minutes! The quality of the prepared gnocchi available in markets has really improved over the last few years. I love to use them because the dumplings cook up quickly and are so comforting.

SERVES 4

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

While the water is coming to a boil, heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sirloin, season with salt and pepper, and cook until it is very well browned, about 5 minutes, breaking it up into bite-sized crumbles with a wooden spoon.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and soften for 5 minutes; adjust the salt and pepper, add the wine to the pan, and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and sage, then add the Gorgonzola. Reduce the heat to low.

Salt the boiling water well and add the gnocchi. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they float, then drain well and add to the skillet with the beef and cheese. Toss to combine. Top with the chopped parsley.

For the salad, combine the mustard with the lemon juice and the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the escarole and toss to coat with the dressing. Serve alongside the gnocchi.

Pasta e Fagioli al Forno with Lemon-Pepper Salad

Pasta e Fagioli is a dish I revisit over and over, trying to play around with methods for it so I can keep making it new to me. Here, the classic soup turns into a baked pasta dish. Loosen your belts and open wide. Have your blankies ready for a family nap.

SERVES 6