Saturday Beefcake: First Course and Versatility



This easy summer pasta recipe is inspired by a traditional dish from Puglia called cajubbi cu' la rucola, usually made with homemade, whole-wheat pasta.

Rigatoni with Arugula




Rigatoni, 500 grams
Arugula, 300 grams or so, fresh, washed and dried
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Two tablespoons
Garlic, one clove peeled
Tomatoes, 500 grams ripe, seeded, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Peperoncino, crushed red pepper flakes
Pecorino cheese (Canestrato Pugliese), freshly grated
Sea [or kosher] salt
Black Pepper, freshly ground




1.Trim the stems from the arugula. Thinly slice half the leaves, and finely chop the rest.
2.In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic clove, and sauté until it softens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the garlic clove.
3.Add the tomatoes and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
4.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the pasta, and cook until just under al dente.
5.Drain the pasta, and add it to the skillet along with the arugula. Cook another 2 minutes, toss and place in individual bowls.
6.Sprinkle with the pecorino.




The recipe came from Italian Cooking and Living June/July 2003. Italian Cuisine is nothing if not versatile and the recipe is posted with only a slight variation. The recipe itself is a variation of a Pugliese recipe which is generally found in versions with another pasta shape, Orecchiette, recchietelle in dialect, which is more typically from Puglia.




Orecchiette alla Rucola

Orecchiette, 400 grams
Arugula, 300 grams
Grape Tomatoes, ten
Garlic, two cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 4 spoonfuls
Olio Santo
Black Olives, ten
Sea Salt

One difference in this recipe found in a site dedicated to the region’s rich cultural heritage from a Belgian immigrant to the region [www.laterradipuglia.it] has much in common with other recipes in that it adds black olives and suggests the use of olio santo, a condiment made with sautéing chopped peperoncini (sometimes with garlic)in a large amount of extra virgin olive oil and letting it marinate, which is kept on hand. Another difference is that the pasta is cooked in the water previously used for cooking the arugula. The third and final difference is the use of pitted black olives.



Of course, the exceptionally beautiful young men of Puglia are the ones that should adorn this our weekly feature dedicated to the sumptuous male body and good food (not necessarily redundant) and the region is chock full of them. Appropriate images that are precisely regional are very difficult to find. On the other hand, this web log is nothing if not versatile. Therefore, find here pictures from other sources, the subjects of which seem like they would appreciate a plate full of Pasta alla Rucola among being served a plethora of other earthly delights.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

POZ - POZ Army

Sunday Songs: Abbey Lincoln