The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (46 page)

3.
Generously dust 2 baking sheets with semolina; set aside. Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces; cover the unused pieces with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Dust a piece of dough lightly with flour. Using a pasta maker, roll the dough through the widest opening. Fold the dough into thirds, and pass it through machine again, layered side first. Repeat process three or four more times, until the dough is smooth. Continue running the dough through the remaining settings, using additional flour sparingly, until the pasta sheet is very thin. The dough should be at least 5 inches wide.

4.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface; halve crosswise. Cover half with plastic wrap. On the other half, place scant tablespoons of squash filling 1 inch apart in 2 rows. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, lightly moisten the pasta around each mound of filling. Top with the remaining half-sheet of pasta; press around the mounds to eliminate the air inside and to seal. Cut the pasta into 2½-inch squares. Brush away excess flour. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Drop a few sage leaves at a time into the hot oil, and fry until the oil around the leaves stops bubbling but before the leaves brown, about 5 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel–lined plate; set aside.

6.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add salt and the ravioli. Gently stir once, and cook at a gentle boil until the ravioli have floated to the top and are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide evenly among 4 plates.

7.
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and cook until lightly browned and aroma is nutty, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle over the ravioli, and garnish with cheese and fried sage leaves. Serve immediately.

roasted squash puree

MAKES ABOUT 2¼ CUPS

3 pounds squash, such as butternut, orange Hokkaido, or buttercup, halved and seeded

Canola oil, for baking sheet

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the squash halves, skin side up, on an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fork tender, about 1¼ hours. Remove from the oven. Turn over; let stand until cool enough to handle.

2.
Scoop the flesh into a food processor, and discard the skin. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate the squash puree in an airtight container up to 4 days, or store in the freezer up to 1 month.

pasta with peas, crab, and basil

SERVES 6 TO 8

Pappardelle are long, flat, wide noodles; fettuccine or linguine work just as well. We recommend chopping the peas slightly before cooking them; otherwise, they have a tendency to roll off the pasta when you eat.

Coarse salt

1 pound pappardelle

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, minced

2 pounds garden peas, shelled and roughly chopped (2 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound lump crabmeat, rinsed and picked over

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish

1.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, and generously add salt. Stir in the pasta; cook according to package instructions until it is al dente. Transfer to a colander, and let drain.

2.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, and cook until they are translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the peas, and season with salt and pepper; cook until the peas are tender and bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crab, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until it is heated through, about 1 minute more. Add the pasta, and stir to combine.

3.
Stir in the cream and basil, and cook until the mixture is just heated through. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving plates, and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

linguine with two-olive tapenade

SERVES 4

The tapenade can also be served as a dip for crudités or a zesty sauce for grilled fish. For best results, choose olives with distinctive flavors, such as those suggested below.

½ pound linguine

¹
/
₃
cup pitted brine-cured olives, such as kalamata (about 16)

¹
/
₃
cup pitted ripe green olives, such as Picholine (about 18)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons plus
¹
/
₃
cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole sprigs for garnish

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 6-ounce can tuna packed in water, drained

1½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine; cook according to package instructions, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente. Remove from heat, and transfer the linguine to a colander; let drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking water.

2.
Make the tapenade: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the olives, lemon zest, garlic, 2 tablespoons parsley, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Process until the mixture is finely chopped and combined.

3.
Transfer the linguine to a large serving bowl, and toss with the reserved cooking water. Add the tapenade, tuna, tomatoes, and remaining
¹
/
₃
cup chopped parsley; toss well to coat. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley sprigs.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 365 CALORIES, 9 G FAT, 13 MG CHOLESTEROL, 51 G CARBOHYDRATE, 912 MG SODIUM, 19 G PROTEIN, 5 G FIBER

oyster mushroom and chard ravioli

SERVES 6

1¾ cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

½ ounce dried oyster mushrooms

1 small bunch ruby chard (8 ounces)

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

36 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen

Pinch of coarse salt

1.
Bring the stock and ½ cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the mushrooms. Let stand until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a work surface; coarsely chop. Set aside. Pour the soaking liquid through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard the solids. Return the soaking liquid to the pan; set aside.

2.
Separate the leaves from the stems of the chard; reserve the stems. Coarsely chop the leaves. (You should have about 4 cups leaves.) Set aside. Cut the stems into ¼-inch dice. Add the stems and thyme to the soaking liquid in the pan, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Reserve ¼ cup simmered chard stems for garnish; discard the remaining solids. Cover the broth, and set aside.

3.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and chard leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool completely. Coarsely chop the prosciutto; stir into the chard mixture. Add the Parmesan, and stir to combine.

4.
Working with a few wrappers at a time, put 1 heaping tablespoon mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Brush the edges with water. Top each filled wrapper with another wrapper. Press the edges and centers to seal. (Uncooked ravioli can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet and then stored in a resealable plastic bag up to 1 month.)

5.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add the ravioli in batches; cook until they rise to the top and are heated through, about 3 minutes. Carefully transfer 3 ravioli to each serving bowl; cover. Repeat with remaining ravioli.

6.
Bring the broth to a simmer. Spoon ¼ cup broth into each bowl; garnish with reserved chard stems.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 194 CALORIES, 4 G FAT, 10 MG CHOLESTEROL, 32 G CARBOHYDRATE, 666 MG SODIUM, 8 G PROTEIN, 2 G FIBER

pastitsio

SERVES 10 TO 12

for the meat sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 white onions, cut into ¼-inch dice

2 pounds ground lamb

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup red wine

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

2 bay leaves

for the béchamel

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

9 tablespoons all-purpose flour (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups milk

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

to assemble

Butter for the baking dish

1 1-pound box curly elbow macaroni, uncooked

1.
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the lamb, salt, cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, breaking into pieces, until the lamb is no longer pink. Add the wine, and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Cover, and let simmer 30 minutes, skimming the fat occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside, covered.

2.
For the béchamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the flour and baking powder. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove the pan from heat, and stir in the Parmesan, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Set aside, covered, until ready to assemble.

3.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9 × 13-inch glass or other ovenproof baking dish; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pasta; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer’s instructions, until very al dente. Transfer to a colander; drain well. Stir the noodles into the meat mixture. Pour the meat and pasta mixture into the prepared pan. Spread béchamel over the mixture, and bake until the top is set and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

BÉCHAMEL BASICS

This classic French sauce is used in many dishes, including soufflés, croque monsieurs, and even macaroni and cheese. When making béchamel sauce, cook the roux (butter and flour mixture) long enough to avoid a floury taste, but don’t let it brown. Whisking constantly while adding flour then milk prevents lumps from forming.

baked mushroom linguine

SERVES 10 TO 12

4 ounces dried mushrooms (such as porcini or chanterelle)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped