Spaghetti and Radishes, let's use the whole radish
January 11, 2024
| Jump To Recipe | Print Recipe |
In my Farmer's Market Box were these beautiful radishes, along with some other beautiful produce, and not to mention the most awesome, delicious strawberries I do believe I've_ever_had
While looking around for ideas as to what to make using some of my goodies, I ran across this interesting spaghetti recipe that uses the whole radish, leaves and all in the sauce.
K let's do it.
I knew I was going to like it because the optional ingredient the recipe calls for is an anchovy fillet. Don't run away now, you'll never taste it, but you do need that umami level in the sauce. You'll also need not only the spaghetti but some pine nuts, it you don't have any you can substitute walnuts and it would still be great, some radishes of course, garlic, shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. And of course your standard olive oil and salt and pepper.
After a bit of chopping, slicing, and dicing we can get the show on the road.
I don't find it necessary to chop or dice the anchovy, I just smush it around in the oil and it disappears while it's sizzling away.
Then you'll add the garlic and shallot and cook until it's soft, then throw in the radishes, cover, and cook until they are tender.
. Now it's time for the greens and the drained pasta. (don't forget to save some of the pasta water) Once the greens are wilted and you checked to see if you need to add some of the pasta water, now's the time to add the lemon zest and juice.
As you can see I only had a lime and that worked out just fine.
Don't forget to hit it up with the nuts and cheese when you serve it. As you can see I like a lot of freshly ground black pepper on my pasta dishes.
I enjoyed it and it was very good. I did have some leftovers and had it the next day, but for my taste, it wasn't as good, YMMV
|
Yield one serving |
|
2 tablespoons pine nuts 4 radishes with their leafy green tops attached 3 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced crosswise Zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Optional Ingredient: 1 anchovy fillet finely chopped Toast the pine nuts: In a small skillet set over medium heat, add the pine nuts and cook, shaking the pan often, until they are fragrant and toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool. Halve the radishes root to tip, then slice them into 1/4-inch-thick half-circles. Stack the radish greens and roll lengthwise into a tight cylinder. Use a chef's knife to slice them crosswise into thin ribbons. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and the kosher salt and cook, following the package instructions, until the pasta is almost cooked to al dente (it should still have an undercooked core that would benefit from 1 minute more of cooking). Drain in a colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: To a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, after 1 to 2 minutes, add the anchovy, if using, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until soft, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the matchstick-cut radishes and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet and cook until the radishes become tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the radish greens, cooking until they wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. To the radishes, add the drained pasta, the lemon zest and juice, sea salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer, adding some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta looks dry. Taste and season with more sea salt, if needed. Serve sprinkled with the pine nuts and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Source: Tasting Table
|
And that's that!