Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times (40 page)

3.
When the pasta begins to bend—after less than 5 minutes of cooking—drain it and add it to the wine mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, adding wine a little at a time if the mixture threatens to dry out completely.

4.
Taste the pasta frequently. When it is done—tender but with a little bite—stir in the butter and turn off the heat. When the butter glazes the pasta, serve it immediately.

VARIATIONS

• You can easily add another dimension to this dish by tossing in about 1 cup chopped walnuts—pieces of about ¼ inch, no smaller—along with the butter.

• A garnish of chopped fresh parsley or basil will make the presentation more attractive and the flavor somewhat brighter.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

WHY NOT COOK
pasta as you do risotto? That is, add broth a bit at a time and stir frequently, with the goal being a creamy, quickly made pasta (no waiting for the requisite gallon of water to boil!) that requires only marginally more attention than the standard variety. The concept is simple, it makes sense—pasta, like Arborio and other rices used for risotto, is plenty starchy enough—and it takes just the use of good-quality stock and a vegetable to make the dish delicious.

If you’re using canned stock and have a little time, heat it with an onion, a carrot, and a garlic clove before beginning to add it to the pasta. And don’t salt the dish until you’re finished cooking; canned stock can be overly salty.

1.
Break the woody ends from the asparagus and peel the stalks if necessary. (If you use thin asparagus, you won’t have to peel them at all; thicker asparagus should be peeled from the bottom of the flower to the end of the stalk.) Break or cut off the flower ends and cut the stems into ½-inch sections (it looks a little nicer if you cut the stems on a diagonal, but this is hardly essential).

2.
Put half the butter or oil in a deep 10- or 12-inch skillet or a broad saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high; when it melts, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes more.

3.
Add a ladleful of stock. As the stock is absorbed and the pasta swells, add more stock and continue to stir once in a while, until the pasta is beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus stalks and continue to add stock as needed until the pasta is just about done, another 5 minutes or so.

4.
Add the asparagus tips and a little more stock, stirring until the tips are crisp-tender, the pasta is cooked to your liking, and the mixture is moist but not soupy (add a little more stock if necessary). Stir in the remaining butter or oil and the Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste if you like and serve.

VARIATIONS

• Substitute carrots, cut into small chunks, for the asparagus; they add vivid color and a marked sweetness. Or experiment with other vegetables.

• Any sharp grated cheese will fill in well for the Parmigiano-Reggiano, especially pecorino Romano.

MAKES 4 OR MORE APPETIZER SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

A COUPLE OF
years ago, on a trip to central Italy—where true Parmigiano-Reggiano is made—I learned yet another use for the world’s most important cheese. A cook in a trattoria was taking handfuls of the grated stuff, sprinkling them in a skillet, and forming melted cheese pancakes. While they were still warm, he draped them over the back of a cup, to form crisp, edible, single-ingredient containers. He filled these with a mixture of zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes and sent them out as a first course.

I found the idea intriguing, but not all that easy to duplicate at home, where my skillet seemed always too hot or too cool, the pancakes too thick or too thin. But when I took the task seriously and set about figuring out the most reliable way to produce these Parmigiano-Reggiano cups, it turned out to be fairly straightforward. Thanks to the miracle of the nonstick surface, just put four rounds of grated cheese on a baking sheet and, five minutes later, they’re done.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Bring the stock to a boil in a 6-to 8-cup saucepan; stir in the orzo, cover, and turn the heat to medium-low. Set a timer for 15 minutes.

3.
Use a ¼-cup measure to make 4 rounds of Parmigiano-Reggiano on a nonstick baking sheet. Smooth the rounds into thin pancakes, 5 or 6 inches across; the thickness need not be perfectly uniform. Put the baking sheet in the oven.

4.
The Parmigiano-Reggiano rounds are done when the centers darken slightly and the edges begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it stand for about a minute, then carefully lift each of the rounds and drape it over the bottom of a narrow cup or glass to form a cup shape. Let dry for about 5 minutes.

5.
The orzo is done when it is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Season it with pepper and very little salt, then stir in the parsley. Spoon a portion of orzo into each of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cups and serve.

VARIATIONS

• Cheese cups can be made with almost any hard cheese or a combination of cheeses. Manchego, pecorino, and other sheep’s milk cheeses are especially good. For fillings, try:

• Steamed and chopped spinach (other than a grating of pepper, no seasoning is necessary)

• Beef stew or other stewed meat

• Ratatouille or other stewed vegetables

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 40 MINUTES

IN A STIR-FRY
like this, you can get away with simply soaking rice noodles, but I believe boiling the noodles for 30 seconds or so after soaking improves them a bit. Try it and see. Substitute soy sauce for the nam pla if you like. Thai basil, which looks different from regular basil, can be found at many Asian markets; it’s fabulously fragrant.

1.
Soak the rice noodles in hot water to cover for 15 to 30 minutes, changing the water once or twice if possible to speed the softening. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. When the noodles are soft, drain them, then immerse them in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse in cold water.

2.
Heat the oil in a deep skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring. Raise the heat to high, then add the noodles and sugar and toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.
When the noodles are hot, add the nam pla and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, then stir in the basil or mint and serve.

VARIATIONS

• Before adding the garlic, quickly stir-fry about 1 cup ground or chopped pork, beef, chicken, or turkey until the color is gone. Proceed as directed.

• Before adding the garlic, stir-fry 1 to 2 cups tender shredded vegetables, like leeks, cabbage, Chinese cabbage (like bok choy), celery, bean sprouts, sliced mushrooms, or a combination. Proceed as directed.

• Add about 1 tablespoon curry powder to the oil along with the garlic. Add more to taste if necessary. Proceed as directed.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 45 MINUTES

YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE
Italian linguine or spaghetti for the rice noodles in this dish. Although the texture will not be the same, the dish will still be good. Boil the noodles nearly to doneness in the normal fashion, then rinse before proceeding.

1.
Soak the noodles in very hot water to cover until you’re ready to add them to the stir-fry. Meanwhile, put a tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok and turn the heat to high. A minute later, add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns and loses its raw look, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2.
Add another tablespoon of the oil to the skillet, followed by the pepper and eggplant. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the pepper and eggplant are browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and combine with the meat.

3.
Add the remaining tablespoon oil, followed immediately by the garlic and, about 30 seconds later, the coconut milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon, for about a minute. Add the drained noodles along with the meat and vegetables and cook until the noodles absorb most of the coconut milk, about 3 minutes.

4.
Season with nam pla, soy sauce, or salt to taste, then add plenty of black pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

HERE’S MY TAKE
on Pad Thai. There are a lot of ingredients here, but most of them keep well in your pantry, and substituting is easy—you could use finely chopped cabbage in place of the bean sprouts or substitute soy or hoisin sauce for the nam pla.