 |
Best of January – Penne with Radicchio & Goat Cheese
Served with a crisp winter salad
|
|
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes |
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 heads radicchio
- 1 bunch rosemary
- 1 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 4 Belgian endive
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 8 oz. soft goat cheese
- 1lb. high-quality dried penne
Shopping List
- Balsamic vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Sea salt
Pantry Items
- Chef’s knife
- Heavy skillet
- Large stockpot or pasta pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Sheet pan
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Wine: Chianti
- Dessert: Frozen yogurt
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Fill the pasta pot 2/3 with water, add 2 tbsps. salt and put over high heat
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine and pour yourself a glass
- Prep
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Trim off outer leaves from the radicchio and chop into small (1/2-inch) pieces.
- Rinse and pat dry the parsley. Pluck 1 1/2 cups leaves.
- Strip 1 tbsp. leaves from the rosemary.
- Peel and dice 1 clove garlic.
- Put the walnuts on the sheet pan and in the oven to toast. They’ll take 7-8 minutes.
- Start Cooking
- Heat 2 tbsps. olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often until it is softened, about 7 minutes.
- Remove the walnuts from the oven.
- Mince the parsley and the rosemary together.
- Add the radicchio to the onions, stir and cook until it has softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar and the parsley and rosemary mixture.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl large enough for the pasta.
- Break up the goat cheese into the bowl and mix it lightly into the radicchio mixture.
- Put the pasta in the boiling water, stir and cook until it is al dente, 7-12 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, trim the endive (remove the stem end and any leaves that are blemished.)
- Cut the endive into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
- Squeeze 1 tbsp. lemon juice into a bowl. Whisk in the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Whisk in 1/4 cup oil, then add the endives and toss. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
- Check the pasta. If it is al dente, drain it, reserving some cooking liquid.
- Add the pasta to the radicchio and goat cheese and toss, toss, toss. If the pasta is dry, add cooking water 1 tbsp. at a time until it is the texture you like. Taste for seasoning.
- Coarsely chop the walnuts and sprinkle them over the endive salad. Take it and the pasta to the table. Don’t forget the wine!
