Teaching an Old Dog

I'd like to say that although my husband came packaged with a myriad of fun accessories like witty banter, great hugs, and a soft spot for all things furry, he did not come fully equipped with the ability to cook.  As he likes to say "I can't cook but I can follow directions".  So I was particularly surprised when he offered to cook our anniversary dinner a few weeks ago.  First things first I checked the interwebs to make sure the traditional fourth year anniversary gift was not a kitchen fire (it's fruit and flowers for those of you wondering). I offered my help with this adventure but was only allowed to pick a recipe.  Oh the pressure was on.  To date, my husband was a one trick pony, if he ever offered to cook, I knew I was getting his "you won't be single for very long penne alla vodka" so imagine my surprise when he wanted me to pick a new recipe!  At last...he was adding to his arsenal.  I knew I had to keep it rather simple, just a handful of high impact ingredients, nothing fussy, and nothing that required too much knife work.  What follows is the recipe that he successfully pulled off with ease.  Please enjoy!

Creamy Fresh Pasta with Crab, Artichokes, and Mint

This is a great recipe for a busy weeknight because it has all of 5 count them 5 main ingredients, but it's elegant enough for a Sunday dinner.  I take major shortcuts with canned ingredients, but fresh pasta and mint make this dish seem like you slaved all day.  Bonus; the fresh pasta cooks in a matter of minutes so no excuses, you can feed your family swiftly and with relative ease.  So put down the phone, you won't need to order pizza tonight.  This dish easily serves a family of four especially if you add a lovely salad and some crusty bread.

What you'll need:


Kosh salt (enough to make your pasta water taste like the sea)
1 pound fresh pasta (I prefer pappardelle, but fettuccine works just as well)

4 Tbl unsalted butter (that's 1/2 a stick)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (16 oz) artichokes, drained, rinsed, and halved
1 lemon zested and juiced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
8 oz lump crabmeat (you can spring for the expensive stuff but the canned version ala chicken of the sea works just as well)
3 oz herbed goat cheese (like chevre) crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving

What to do:


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Don't add your pasta just yet.  We are seriously talking three minutes cooking time max so you'll want to start the sauce in the meantime.  Make sure you have all your ingredients preped and ready to go before you begin, once this train leaves the station you're riding it to the end of the line...no stops!

Combine the butter and olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Place pasta in boiling water and cook to package instructions.  During the cooking process scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and add to skillet allowing the liquid to reduce around five minutes.  Don't expect the liquid to thicken a great deal, what you are making is the beginning of a burro fuso which is basically a buttery glaze for pasta made with starchy pasta water, butter, and cheese.  (A burro fuso is a great way to make a light sauce for any pasta, if you are feeling adventurous you can try all sorts of combinations like tortellini with peas and prosciutto or pumpkin ravioli with sage and guanciale.)  Once your pasta is cooked through, drain and place in a large bowl.  You can cover it with a tea towel to keep it nice and hot while the sauce is finishing.  If you are concerned about all that beautiful pasta sticking together in one large Medusa-like mass just toss it with a bit of olive oil, problem solved.  Once the liquid in the skillet has reduced add the artichokes, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, crabmeat, salt and pepper and toss to warm everything through. Remove from heat and pour over noodles and toss to combine.  Add goat cheese, mint, and Parmigiano and season with more black pepper.  Toss to combine.  The residual heat will make the cheeses melt ever so slightly and heat the mint up allowing it to release some pretty potent essential oils.  I typically toss this pasta together with my nose held very close to the bowl...it's really a smell you can't resist!  Squeeze a bit of the lemon juice over the top, just enough to brighten the flavors and really make it sing.  This is where the important task of tasting before you serve comes along.  Think it needs more acid?  Squeeze a bit more lemon.  Not peppery enough?  Well grind away.  Need a bit more saltiness?  Sprinkle more Parmigiano on top.  Just be sure to really toss well before serving, the artichoke and crab tend to slither to the bottom of the bowl and those are two major ingredients you don't want to miss out on.  This is really a no fail recipe, packed with flavor, ready in a jiffy, and easy enough for even a novice cook to master.

This recipe adapted from Tyler's Ultimate, Tyler Florence