lemon + fresh herb pasta

At some point in the morning on New Year’s eve I said ‘Everything’s going to be closed tomorrow, I should buy groceries today’.  At no point on New Years eve did I go buy groceries for New Year’s day.

So I had a day with a very very empty fridge and a very very empty tummy.  Luckily I found a lemon and some fresh herbs left over from something I had been making a few days prior along with just enough pasta for two.

Added a few things I found in the fridge and it turned out to be a delicious meal.  So, this is my stuck-with-no-food-on-New-Year’s-day pasta.

If you want to make the dish vegetarian or if you just hate anchovies, a tablespoon of capers would be a good substitute.

Makes 2 servings

lemon + fresh herb pasta

ingredients

• enough pasta for 2 people
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lemons – zest + juice
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1/2 c good quality green olives, chopped
• approx. 1/2 c chopped basil
• approx. 1/2 c chopped flat leaf parsley
• pepper

preparation

Cook pasta in boiling salted water and strain.

Return the empty pasta pot to the stove over medium-low heat.  Add oil and butter, heat until butter is melted.  Add garlic, lemon zest and anchovy then lemon juice.

Cook for about 30 seconds or until garlic is soft.  Turn off the heat, add olives and all but about 2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs.  Stir for a few seconds until the herbs are wilted then add the pasta and toss to coat.

Serve immediately, garnish with the remaining herbs.

strawberry + goat cheese galettes

My parents came to visit and brought along some beautiful fresh, local strawberries (thank you!).  I had this recipe idea kicking around in my head for a while so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

Turns out it’s very good.

For the pastry I used this recipe for pasta frolla (sweet pastry dough) but cut the recipe by a third so I’ve included the reduced measurements for convenience.

I’m thinking a balsamic glaze drizzled over top, or maybe some fresh basil mixed in with the strawberries would be really tasty… but I could be wrong.  Eventually I’ll revisit this and see but in the meantime if any of you, you beautiful sophisticated intelligent readers, try a variation that works let me know.

Makes 5 galettes.

strawberry + goat cheese galettes

ingredients

pastry – from Kitchen Window

• 2 c flour
• 2/3 c confectioner’s sugar
• pinch of salt
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 2/3 c unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 large eggs

filling

• 1 pint of fresh strawberries, sliced
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 150 g goat cheese

preparation

For pastry – Mix flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl.  Add butter and mix with a pastry cutter until small, pea sized clumps are formed.  Add one whole egg and the yolk of the second egg (set the white aside for later) and mix until just combined.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead briefly, form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before using to make it pliable enough to work with.  Divide the dough into 5 chunks and roll each into a ball.  Roll each ball out on a well floured surface – they should be thin, rough edged circles – and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

For filling – Combine strawberries, lemon zest and sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.

Top each rolled out pastry round with a heaping tablespoon of goat cheese and spread it, leaving a 2 inch border with no cheese.  Top the cheese area with a mound of strawberries and fold the pastry border up over the edges of the filling.  Repeat with each round.  Pile any leftover strawberry mixture in the middle of the pastries.

Remember that egg white we set aside?  If not that’s ok but if yes brush egg white over the pastry so it gets nice and crispy and shiny.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden-brown.