While we were walking the MHS campus, we also recalled the frisbee trick shot video Dylan and his friends made there to publicize a then-upcoming ultimate frisbee tournament. One can only assume Dylan et al. were supposed to be in class while these hijinks were being filmed, but no lasting academic damage was done, obviously, so no harm, no foul, I guess.
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Here is another in my long list of pasta dishes you can have ready in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. This one uses two of my favorite ingredients: prosciutto and peas. I mean, prosciutto, talk about something you could put "on the bumper of a car and it would taste good." (Now that Alton Brown and Rachael Ray have made their returns to the Food Network, I wonder if/when Emeril will join them?) Kick it up another notch with a little cream and what's not to love? Brad even loved this without the prosciutto (as sad as that is for me to consider), which I cooked separately for Mom and me.
Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas
Adapted from Christopher Kimball via Wicked Local Marion
Time: 30 minutes
You can omit the prosciutto to make this vegetarian. Or if you’re in a mixed omnivore-vegetarian crowd, you can fry 2 ounces of prosciutto over medium-low heat in a drop of olive oil in a small skillet until the fat is rendered, then add it to individual plates separately at the table with the pepper and Parmesan.
1 medium onion (~150 grams)
2 tablespoons (27 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
113 grams/4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto cut into ¼-inch strips (see note)
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
200 grams (2 cups) frozen peas, preferably petite peas
¼ cup (58 grams) heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 pound penne or rigatoni pasta
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large, covered stockpot.
2. Trim the ends off the onion, then cut it in half from pole-to-pole and peel it. Cut one half in half again from pole-to-pole, then turn 90 degrees on the cutting board and slice crosswise into thin quarter moons. Repeat with the other half of the onion.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucier or sauté pan. Add the onion and prosciutto and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but now browned, about 7 minutes.
4. While the onion is sautéeing, deal with the tomatoes, using one of three options: (a) chop them with a knife, reserving the juice; (b) put them through a food mill placed over a medium bowl; or (c) just crush them into small pieces using your clean hands. For (c), which is the easiest option, empty the tomatoes with their juice into a medium bowl and squeeze them between your fingers under the juice so they don’t spray juice all over your kitchen.
5. When the onion is ready, stir in the tomato pieces with their juice and the kosher salt. Bring to a lively, but not overly aggressive, simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until heated, about 1 or 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, after you add the tomatoes to the pan, stir the fine sea salt into the boiling water until dissolved. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until just al dente (use the shortest time in the cooking directions on the package; the pasta will cook a little more in the sauce). Drain well.
7. Stir the pasta into the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, which will thicken some, about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve promptly with freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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