Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (44 page)

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

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel. Remove and discard the woody stems. Thinly slice the mushrooms.

Heat the EVOO in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender and deeply golden, 7 to 8 minutes.

While the mushrooms cook, halve the leek lengthwise. Cut off a couple of inches of the tough tops and trim off the root end. Thinly slice the leek, then wash in a large bowl of cold water, swishing the leeks vigorously and separating all the layers to free the grit. Let the leeks stand in the water for 1 minute, then scoop them out and dry on a clean kitchen towel. Pour out the gritty water and wipe down your cutting board.

Add the leeks to the mushrooms along with the garlic and season with salt and pepper and the thyme. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, then add the wine. Cook for 30 seconds to reduce the wine a bit, then stir in the cream and heat through. Add the drained pasta to the mushroom mixture, toss to coat with the sauce, and adjust the seasonings. Top with grated cheese at the table.

This sauce is named for the ladies of the night, and like them it's spicy, fast, and easy (pardon the pun). This version is especially fresh-tasting because it uses sweet baby tomatoes rather than canned.

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

Heat the EVOO over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until the anchovies melt into oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olives, capers, tomatoes, and black pepper, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the tomatoes burst. Toss the pasta with the fresh sauce and the parsley, and serve.

Pasta, Peas, and Ricotta Fake-Bake

Baked ziti is something we associate with dinners at the VFW hall or an all-you-can-eat buffet—not exactly meal-for-one territory—but pastas
al forno
(from the oven) are just so comforting you shouldn't have to wait for a crowd to make them. These next two recipes are a great fake-out, cooked stovetop and just finished under the broiler, giving the illusion of a long-baked pasta. The recipes make a BIG portion; midnight snackers will love this one. You can substitute ¼ pound blanched asparagus or broccoli cut in small pieces for the peas.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente. Reserve
1
⁄
3
cup of the pasta cooking liquid before you drain the pasta.

Preheat the broiler.

Heat the EVOO and butter in a small or medium skillet. Add the scallions and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the peas and cook for 2 minutes to heat through. Season with salt, pepper, the lemon zest, and the thyme. Add the drained pasta and reserved cooking water to the skillet along with the ricotta and toss to combine; adjust the seasonings. Top the pasta with the grated cheese and place the skillet under the broiler to brown for 3 minutes.

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

Heat the EVOO in a small or medium ovenproof skillet. Remove the sausage from its casing and add to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a minute or two more, then stir in the tomato sauce and cook just to heat through. Fold the basil into the sauce and stir in the cream. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with the cheese and place under the broiler until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Ham Steak with Chili Gravy and Cheesy Polenta

This meal has southern roots but polenta is even faster to make than grits and is sweeter, too. The polenta balances the spicy gravy.

Heat ½ tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ham steak for 3 minutes on each side to brown and heat through, then remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the tomato paste and chili powder and cook for a minute, then stir in the stock and simmer for a couple minutes more.

While the gravy is working, bring the milk and ½ cup water to a boil in a small pot. Add the polenta and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Melt the butter into the polenta and stir in the hot sauce and cheese; remove from the heat.

Top the ham steak with the chili gravy and serve the polenta alongside.