Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (86 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a weeknight pasta and mushrooms dish with a woodsy, full flavor, we used a combination of mushrooms: cremini for their rich, meaty nature and shiitakes for their hearty flavor and chewy texture. Cooking the mushrooms with salt released their juices and enhanced browning. We finished by adding garlic, shallots, and thyme to round out the flavors in a simple sauce of chicken broth, heavy cream, and lemon juice. We boiled the pasta just after adding the cremini to the skillet so both were ready simultaneously.
SERVES 4
For a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
2 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
4 | large shallots, chopped fine |
10 | ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¹⁄ |
10 | ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
5 | teaspoons minced fresh thyme |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
1 | pound farfalle or campanelle |
2 | ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1.
Heat butter and oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer mushrooms to bowl. Add broth to now-empty skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Off heat, stir in cream and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
3.
Add mushrooms, broth mixture, Parmesan, and parsley to pasta and cook over medium-low heat, tossing to combine, until pasta absorbs most of liquid, about 2 minutes. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve immediately.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¹⁄
4
-inch cubes, and cook until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove pancetta with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Substitute fat in skillet for butter and olive oil and 5 teaspoons minced fresh sage for thyme. Add pancetta to pasta along with sautéed mushrooms.
Omit thyme and add 1 cup frozen peas to skillet along with broth. Substitute 6 ounces Camembert, cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch cubes (do not remove rind) for Parmesan and 2 tablespoons minced chives for parsley.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a quick and satisfying pantry supper, we paired fresh escarole with canned cannellini beans. To give the dish assertive flavor, we sautéed a generous amount of garlic in olive oil. We sautéed the escarole briefly in the garlic to wilt it, then steamed it with some water in the covered pan. Finally we uncovered the pan and steamed it again until it was tender. The creamy beans, stirred in at the end, added protein without any fuss.
SERVES 4
Because of the hearty cannellini beans, you only need 8 ounces of pasta for this dish.
6 | tablespoons olive oil |
6 | garlic cloves, minced |
2 | teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ¹⁄ |
1 | head escarole (1 pound), trimmed and sliced ¹⁄ |
³⁄ | cup water |
1 | (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed |
Salt and pepper | |
8 | ounces orecchiette (2¹⁄ |
1.
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add escarole, 1 handful at a time, and cook until completely wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in water and bring to gentle simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in beans, cover, and continue to simmer gently until flavors meld, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Sun-dried tomatoes can either be parched and leathery or oily and overpowering, but their meaty, intense flavor partners perfectly with pasta. We wanted to get the most out of these tomatoes, while overcoming their shortcomings. We started with oil-packed tomatoes and drained them and patted them dry to rid them of their oily marinade. Then, to tame their presence, we cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Paired with equally strong ingredients like olives, garlic, anchovies, arugula, and capers, sun-dried tomatoes make a lively base to a full-flavored pasta sauce.
SERVES 4
Make sure to rinse the herbs and seasonings from the sun-dried tomatoes. Farfalle can be substituted for the campanelle.
1 | cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped coarse |
1 | ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¹⁄ |
6 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
¹⁄ | cup walnuts, toasted |
1 | small garlic clove, minced |
Salt | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
1 | pound campanelle |
10 | ounces baby arugula (10 cups) |
3 | ounces goat cheese, crumbled (³⁄ |
1.
Process tomatoes, Parmesan, oil, walnuts, garlic, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, and pepper in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.
2.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ³⁄
4
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot; immediately stir in arugula, 1 handful at a time, until wilted. Add pesto and ¹⁄
2
cup reserved cooking water to pasta and toss to combine. Add remaining cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve immediately, passing goat cheese separately.
SERVES 4
Make sure to rinse the herbs and seasonings from the sun-dried tomatoes.
2 | slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed and bread torn into quarters |
2 | tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
3 | anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with ¹⁄ |
1¹⁄ | cups pitted green olives, chopped |
1 | cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped fine |
1 | pound spaghetti |
1 | tablespoon salt |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
1.
Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick over medium heat until shimmering. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until crisp and golden brown, about 6 minutes; transfer to bowl. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
2.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, anchovies, and pepper flakes in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and cook until thickened slightly and dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and reserved tomato juice and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
3.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and parsley to pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve immediately, passing bread crumbs separately.
SERVES 4
Make sure to rinse the herbs and seasonings from the sun-dried tomatoes.
2 | tablespoons olive oil |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
12 | ounces whole-milk ricotta (1¹⁄ |
1 | cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving |
2 | teaspoons minced fresh mint |
Salt | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
1 | pound medium shells |
1 | cup frozen peas |
1.
Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to large bowl, cool slightly, then stir in ricotta, tomatoes, Parmesan, mint, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, and pepper.
2.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ³⁄
4
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add ricotta mixture and ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water to pasta and toss to combine. Add remaining cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.
