Linguine with Spicy Thai Shrimp Sauce, one of 300 recipes at ilovepasta.org, the website of the National Pasta Association. The recipe is below.

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March 2005

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Pastas

Pasta Recipes

• Penne Pasta with Lemon Infused Vegetables and Ricotta Salata
• Crispy Angel Hair Cakes with Scallops, Escarole and Tomato Coulis
• Dessert Lasagne
• Linguine with Spicy Thai Shrimp Sauce

Recipes courtesy of the National Pasta Association, www.ilovepasta.org

In 1998, the National Pasta Association teamed with the Culinary Institute of America to challenge chefs and foodservice professionals to create signature pasta recipes using American-made dry pasta.  More than 400 recipes were submitted. Our recipes start with the three winners.

Grand Prize

Penne Pasta with Lemon Infused Vegetables
and Ricotta Salata

The Grand Prize Winner was developed by Michael Garnero of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.

This is a vegetarian dishes with large pieces of Shiitake mush rooms that give the dish a hearty, meaty flavor.

Ricotta salata is a dry salted ricotta cheese that has a sharp, almost tangy flavor. It is available in most cheese stores and Italian grocery stores.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 gallon water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 4-6 ounces virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. Shiitake mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup red peppers, diced
• 1 pound broccoli, florets only
• 1 large bulb fennel, cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb. ricotta salata cheese

Directions

• Par cook the broccoli and fennel by boiling for 3-4 minutes in salted water.  Drain and reserve.
• To cook the pasta, bring the salt and water to a boil.  Add the pasta and stir frequently to prevent the pasta from linguine from sticking together.
• Cook until the pasta is almost tender, approximately 8-10 minutes.
• Drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, being very careful not to brown the garlic.
• Add the red peppers and Shiitakes and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender.
• Add the cooked broccoli, fennel and fresh thyme and continue to cook without browning. Add the cooked pasta and half of the parsley and season with salt and pepper.  If the pasta seems to dry, add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid.
• Portion the pasta into heated bowls and garnish the tops with grated ricotta salata and the chopped parsley.

Each serving provides 492 calories, 14g protein, 74g carbohydrates, 15g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1791 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28%.

Second Place

Crispy Angel Hair Cakes with Scallops, Escarole and Tomato Coulis

• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 sea scallops
• 4 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 small head escarole, washed, trimmed and chopped
• 4 basil sprigs, for garnishing
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450° F.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set aside.
• On a sheetpan with sides, toss together the tomatoes, garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they are very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and reduce the oven temperature to 375° F.
• While the tomatoes are roasting, make the pasta cakes. Warm 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small, non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a generous ½ cup of pasta to the pan and flatten it into a pancake shape. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a sheetpan. Make 3 more cakes in the same way and then 4 small, lacy cakes to use as tops. Set the cakes aside until needed.
• When the tomatoes are ready, puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain into a saucepan cover and set over very low heat until needed.
• Warm 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium, non-stick sauté pan over very high heat. Add the scallops and brown them on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Do not overcook the scallops. Transfer to a small sheetpan and set aside until needed.
• Reduce the heat under the sauté pan to medium and add the last teaspoon of olive oil. Sauté the pancetta and shallots for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the escarole and cook it until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• While the escarole is wilting, put the pasta cakes and scallops in the oven to warm.

To assemble: Spoon some tomato coulis onto each of 4 plates. Set a large pasta cake on the coulis. Top each with 1/4 of the escarole. Slice the scallops in half crosswise and set 4 slices on each mound of escarole. Finish with a small pasta cake set in place at an angle. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Third Place

Dessert Lasagna

• 12 pieces lasagne
• 4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 8 kiwis, peeled
• 4 cups strawberries, washed and trimmed, 8 reserved for garnishing
• 4 cups blackberries, washed
• 1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds
• Mint sprigs to garnish
  

Directions

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese and ½ cup sugar. Set aside.
• In the food processor, puree 4 kiwis with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer the puree to a bowl and set it aside. Rinse the processor bowl.
• In the processor, puree half the strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Strain the puree into a bowl and set it aside. Rinse the processor bowl.
• In the processor, puree half the blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Strain the puree and set it aside.
• Slice the kiwis into ¼-inch thick rounds. Slice the strawberries into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Slice the blackberries in half.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of each of the purees to use as a garnish when serving.

To assemble the lasagne, first cover the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking pan with 3 pieces of pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the ricotta on top and spread it evenly. Pour the kiwi puree over the cheese and arrange the kiwi slices on the puree. Lay on 3 more pieces of pasta and cover with 1/2 the remaining cheese. Pour the strawberry puree over the cheese and sprinkle with sliced strawberries. Lay on 3 more pieces of pasta and cover with the remaining cheese. Pour the blackberries puree over the cheese and sprinkle with blackberries. Top with a final layer of pasta. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle the lasagne with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and with the toasted almonds. Cut into 8 rectangles and use a spatula to set the pieces on dessert plates. Decorate the plates with dots of reserved purees. Garnish each piece of lasagne with a strawberry and a sprig of mint.

Linguine with Spicy Thai Shrimp Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces linguini, uncooked             
• 12 ounces fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; or 12 oz. small frozen shrimp, thawed
• 3 red bell peppers, seeds and stems removed, cut into bite-size, thin strips
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and tips of green part)
• 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mild white vinegar

Directions

• Prepare linguine according to package directions.
• While linguine is cooking, combine other ingredients in a saucepan an place over low heat.
• Cover and simmer until the sauce is smooth and the shrimps are cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Be sure not to overcook the shrimp.
• When linguine is done, drain well and transfer to a large bowl.  Add the sauce and toss gently until well combined.  Serve immediately.

Each serving provides 510 calories, 32g protein, 67g carbohydrates, 13g fat.

© 2005 National Pasta Association.  All rights reserved.