It is the end of July already! This summer is moving at warp speed. I have been doing a lot of cooking, in between the start of a new job. The thing about working full time and cooking and blogging is that sometimes you have to make a dinner out of air. I know that so many people do this on a nightly basis. Open the refrigerator door and say to yourself…what goes together?
The interesting thing about this is that some of my best meals and ideas happen when faced with the limited ingredients on those shelves. Last night was a perfect example! It was 8:30 pm. My daughter had already eaten, and my DH was still not home. I had picked up some beautiful baby zucchini at the farmers market this past weekend along with some farm fresh eggs. The basil was still in great shape, and I had a tiny piece of swiss cheese that was leftover from something. Enter Marcella Hazan stage left.
Her zucchini and basil frittata in 20 minutes. It was a fabulous summer dinner. Light, tasty and just right with a glass of chilled rosé and a crusty piece of ciabatta. As if on cue, the door opened and DH walked in just as it was done!
Wait! This is not what I wanted to share with you today! I wanted to talk about figs. Figs are a sensuous fruit, (as a friend recently reminded me). Luscious and sweet, they have a long history, all the way back to ancient Rome and before! My maternal grandfather had many fig tress in his garden. They were smuggled into America in the pockets of his overcoat back in the 50’s. They grew into enormous trees, and there was a big commotion every fall, because they then had to be buried so they wouldn’t die during the Northeast winters. My mother would wait for the fruit every August and would eat every last one. I on the other hand was not so sure about them. It took years for me to understand their allure. There is no holding back now!
A perfectly ripe fig, wrapped in a thinly sliced, salty piece of perfect Prosciutto di Parma is a transcendent experience. This pasta takes that experience to another level. Salty, sweet, savory and crunchy all in one bite. Go to the market, pick up a few boxes and enjoy them this weekend!
Tagliatelli with Figs and Prosciutto
adapted from Gourmet August 2001
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3—4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 small red onion thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2—1 teaspoonful of chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 pound ripe, fresh figs, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1/2 pound of dried egg tagliatelli
Notes: I used a rosé in this recipe, it is what I had on hand. It was perfect! But use a dry white, it will be just as delicious. I also used some homemade chicken stock that I had, it added a richness to the pan sauce, if you have some use it. For figs, I used mission figs, they were the most ripe at the market. Any type of fig would work well in this recipe. I also sprinkled only 1/2 of the breadcrumbs over the pasta, bringing the rest to the table for those who wanted to add a bit more crunch.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper to taste, and stir constantly until they turn golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Tip onto a plate and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the cleaned skillet over moderate heat and cook the prosciutto until golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels with slotted spoon to drain. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and stir for another minute. Stir in the wine and boil until liquid is reduced to about a tablespoonful. Stir in the stock, figs, lemon juice and half of the prosciutto. Bring to a slow simmer and cook briefly until the stock starts to reduce, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water, in case the pasta sauce is too dry. Add the tagliatelli to the sauce and heat over low to moderate heat adding some reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too dry. Toss the mixture until heated through and the pasta is coated with the glorious sauce.
Transfer to a beautiful serving dish and top with breadcrumbs and remaining prosciutto. Pass some grated parmesan over the top.
Tagliatelli with Figs and Prosciutto It is the end of July already! This summer is moving at warp speed. I have been doing a lot of cooking, in between the start of a new job.
