November 11, 2011 Dinner - Pasta Primavera with Shrimp and Anchovies

November 11, 2011  Dinner -  Pasta Primavera with Shrimp and Anchovies

            This is a meal that demonstrates how some meals are driven by ingredients.  My friend Richard Donfro, kindly left a bag of Italian basil, a head of red kale and some green pear tomatoes on by my front door.  The basil was so fresh and beautiful that I immediately thought of cooking a summery dish; pasta primavera.

So after I finished work, I went to Whole Foods and bought a 12 ounce container ($5.49) of fresh mozzarella cheese. In the cheese department I noticed some white anchovies packed in pickling spices, vinegar and olive oil, not smoked and packed in salt.  Their texture is softer and more delicate ($14.99/lb.), so I bought a small container of them.

Suzette stayed to work at the Bistro, so I started gathering ingredients from the fridge: ¼ cup of brown button mushrooms, one-half pimiento, 3/4 cup of diced zucchini, about 7 or 8 large shrimp, two shallots, one clove garlic, a large handful of red grape tomatoes (fresh from our garden), and about twelve of the small white anchovies chopped into thirds.

I started a pot of pasta water and added about one teaspoon of olive oil and about one-half teaspoon of salt to it and then about 2/3 lb of spaghettini.

I began sautéing the ingredients with about one-half teaspoon of sea salt and a couple of twists of black pepper.  Then I roughly chopped about 1/2 cup of the basil and one large ball of mozzarella (about four ounces).  I then tossed about ¼ cup of the basil into the sautéing vegetables.   

Then Suzette called to say she was on her way home, so I turned the stove off and waited for her arrival to finish the dish.

When she arrived Suzette took over cooking and plating the dishes.  She added butter, 1/2 of pasta water and bit of wine to the sautéed vegetables to make a sauce. Then we plated the pasta and laid the sautéed vegetable and shrimp and anchovy sauce on the pasta and garnished it with cubes of fresh mozzarella and more chopped fresh basil.  We toasted about one-half baguette of French bread and I opened a bottle of the Cutler Creek Pinot Grigio.

We ate, dipped bread in the sauce, and talked as we enjoyed the brightly colored, deliciously fresh, light meal (See picture).  Suzette proudly announced that the Greenhouse Bistro had turned a few of its tables twice;  a good night at the Bistro and an occasion to celebrate.

After arguing a motion in a big case in Las Cruces Thursday and finishing the paperwork for a sale of a business around 5:00 pm. this evening, I felt a heavy load lift from my shoulders and, became energized, so after dinner I made some chocolate chip cookies with raisins, oatmeal, and lavender.

Bon Apètit