Aya's Kitchen: Ramps & Shiitake Spaghetti

When I saw these ramps at Whole Foods I just had to buy them.  Didn't know what I was going to cook with them but they looked fresh and surprisingly it seemed like they were unwanted! I love pasta (I can eat some type of noodles every single day and never get sick of them).  I definitely prefer these kinds of pasta (just olive oil, chili and fresh ingredients) to saucy ones.

 

 

1 serving

80g spaghetti (or pasta of choice)

Extra virgin olive oil 

A few Shiitake, sliced

Handful of ramps, cleaned well and cut in half or thirds

Chili flakes

Panko

Salt & black pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta in adequately salted water.

2. Meanwhile, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan and sear the shiitake.  

3. Add the ramps and cook until wilted.  Season to taste.

4.  Just before the pasta is al dente add some of the boiling water to the shiitake and ramps. Drain the pasta and toss in the pan with some chili flakes.  

5. Garnish with panko.

 

Aya's Kitchen: Cold smoked salmon and salmon roe pasta with an heirloom tomato and lemon vinaigrette

My friend wanted to go to Russ & Daughters so I bought some smoked salmon (Western Nova Smoked Salmon) and salmon roe.  As soon as I bought them I thought of making a cold pasta dish using those two ingredients.  In Japan, 冷静パスタ(reisei pasta or cold pasta) is quite a common dish during the summer months but it seems in the US only cold short pasta dishes (like salads) are common.  I bought an organic heirloom tomato, organic lemon and organic chives at Whole Foods Bowery for the vinaigrette.  

The vinaigrette was basically just lemon juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper and diced tomatoes.  Once I cooked the thin spaghetti, I cooled it down with cold water (would've done it with some ice but didn't have any!) and tossed it in the vinaigrette.  I then tossed in some pieces of the smoked salmon (tore them into smaller pieces) and garnished the dish with chives and salmon roe.

A perfect refreshing pasta dish for the hot summer!

Aya's Kitchen: Carbonara Tagliatelle with Fava Beans

 I was craving fava beans so I added them when I made carbonara.  I think the くせ(smelliness?) of the favas go very well with pancetta and black pepper.

Aya's Kitchen: Red Cabbage and Eggplant Wholewheat Pasta

I spent a week in May as a vegetarian just to see how challenging it would be to sustain that sort of diet.  Surprisingly, I got through the week and was rather satisfied with most of the meals I had.  This was a pasta I made with leftovers.  I loved the color of the red cabbage after it faded.  I basically sauteed the diced eggplant in olive oil (with a crushed garlic) until tender then quickly sauteed the red cabbage.  I tossed in the whole wheat pasta and finished it with some extra virgin olive oil and black pepper.

Pasta Series: Vongole

I used Manila clams for this vongole but I find that clams in Japan are much more meaty and flavorful. Nevertheless this vongole turned out good. I would never use Quahog clams or any of those other thick shelled clams though.

* Soak clams in salted water for at least half an hour and drain
1. Boil the water for the pasta. Keep adding salt until it tastes salty.
2. Smash and peel a garlic and heat slowly in extra virgin oil with a dry chili.
3. When the garlic has browned slightly, add the clams and white wine. Allow the white wine to evaporate and place a lid to steam the clams.
4. Start cooking the pasta.
5. When the clams have opened up, remove them from the pan. Keep reducing the clam drippings.
6. When the pasta is al dente, add some of the pasta water in the pan with the clam drippings.
7. Drain pasta and toss in clam drippings and add the clams back. Season with salt and black pepper. Finish with roughly chopped parsley.

Pasta Series: Carbonara

I love pasta. I can eat pasta every day and not get sick of it. Sadly I haven't been to Italy yet but restaurants in Japan serve some bad ass pasta dishes. There's even a chain pasta restaurant that serves good Japaneseified pasta (Goemon) We love noodles and we love them al dente, so it's no surprise that Japanese cooks/chefs can make good pasta. I hate it when I see people picking at their pasta because I chow mine down to prevent it from getting soggy (just like when we Japanese eat ramen).
Carbonara is one of those meals I cook when I don't have anything in the fridge because I'll usually have pancetta, some sort of granular cheese, and of course, pasta!

Carbonara:

1. Boil water for the pasta. Add enough salt so that it tastes almost like sea water.
2. Start cooking the pasta and meanwhile...render some pancetta slices in extra virgin olive oil and add a splash of white wine. Let it reduce then take off the heat.
3. Mix an egg with an egg yolk and add the desired amount of grated parmigiano or pecorino and a touch of heavy cream (traditionally there's no cream but I like to add just a bit).
4. When the pasta is done, drain it well and turn the heat back on. Toss the pasta in the pancetta and egg mixture. Toss until heated through. Taste and season with salt and lots of black pepper!