Pasta with Kale and Caramelized Onions in Blue Cheese Sauce

I was wandering around my local grocery store today, just wasting time. I was only there to get a couple items, but it’s impossible for me to not peruse if I have a little extra time. Definitely could not leave without checking out the cold deli counter. If you didn’t know, I’ve got a deli obsession. Ultra-thin prosciutto and coppa, peppered salami, pastrami, honey ham, liverwurst...I love love love them all! Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the cheese! Lordy, do I get excited when I see a cold case full of cheese.

As I was waiting for the deli guy to slice my coppa, I notice they were offering a Gorgonzola, walnut and grape pasta salad. I’m not really a fan of cold pasta and I’m wary of buying the stuff at the deli. In my experience deli salads rarely taste as good as they look. A light bulb did go off in my head, however, and I knew what I’d be making for dinner.

This pasta is easy and creamy (which I didn't do a good job of capturing). If you're worried about the cheese being too strong, no need. It mellows out when it's cooked. With that said, the quality of the blue cheese is important here, since the whole dish is based on the sauce. I do not recommend those pre-crumbled blue (or feta) cheeses available in most supermarkets because I think they taste terrible. My favorite blues come from Rogue Creamery, an Oregon cheese producer that makes fantastic (and award winning) blue and cheddar cheese. For this pasta I used their Smokey Blue, which had a nice distinct taste, although I wouldn't have guessed it was smoked.

Pasta with caramelized onions and kale in blue cheese sauce
Serves 3

• 1 cup pecans , toasted on a pan or under a broiler for about 5 minutes and lightly crushed (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup cream
• 4 oz of your favorite blue cheese, plus some for crumbling on top (I don’t recommend one that is too soft)
• a little milk, if necessary
• ½ lbs pasta like spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by caramelizing the onions in a large pan with a little olive oil. When they are just about done (about 20 minutes or so), add the kale and sauté until wilted. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.

Once your onions are going, put on your pasta water. You’ll want to cook the pasta at least 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions, since they will get additional time in the sauce.

In the same pan you used for the onions, add the cream and cheese. Once the cheese is melted, add the onions and kale back in and mix well. Turn off the heat until the pasta is ready. Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin. It thickens up nicely once you turn the pasta in it.

Once you are ready to dump the drained pasta in, put the pan back on the heat and mix everything together. The pasta will finish cooking and absorb some of the liquid and at the same time, the sauce will thicken. If it gets too thick or dry, add a little milk to loosen it. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, topping each serving with some of the crushed pecans and crumbled blue cheese.

Enough with the Holiday Food Already!

I finally used the last of the Christmas ham. And let me just say if I have to eat one more bite of turkey or ham before November 2008, I'm going to barf. I'm even tired of prime rib (can it be true??)!

Anyways, I made pasta with caramelized onions in a Gorgonzola sauce and threw in the ham. You could just as well add leftover roasted chicken or pork tenderloin. If you prefer vegetables, peas, cooked or roughly chopped fresh spinach, broccoli or sautéed mushrooms work well. Served with a nice salad, it made a very filling and delicious meal.

This pasta needs no embellishing, but I added some diced honey ham. The sweetness of the ham and caramelized onions complements the saltiness of the Gorgonzola.

Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions in Gorgonzola Sauce
Serves 3 to 4 (recipe can be doubled)

• 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 4 oz hard Gorgonzola, crumbled
  
• 2 large onions, sliced
• optional embellishments: diced honey ham, cooked chicken or pork tenderloin, peas, broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, cooked (drained) spinach
  
• 1/2 pound rigatoni (or other pasta of your choice)
  
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put a pot of water on for the pasta. Cook the pasta for about 2-3 minutes less than indicated on the package instructions. You want the pasta undercooked because you’ll finish cooking it in the sauce.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add some oil and sautee the onions until they caramelize. This could take 20 minutes or more. Adjust the heat if necessary to keep the onions from burning.

In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat. Add the cheese and stir to melt. If the sauce is simmering too vigorously, turn down the heat. You want to slowly melt the cheese. Don’t worry if the sauce is not thick. It will thicken when you cook it with the pasta. Keep over low heat until the pasta and onions are ready.

Once the pasta is done, drain it (don’t rinse it) and return it to the pot. Put the pot over medium-low heat. Add the sauce (and optional embellishments, if using) and stir gently but thoroughly to mix. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until until the pasta is done to your liking. By then, the sauce should have thickened up from the starch in the pasta. Add the caramelized onions and mix well. Serve immediately.



And lastly...if you're looking for a sweet fix, I want to point you to Sugar High Friday to check out the round-up. It's all about pudding and all the entries look so yummy!

Quiche, quiche, quiche and more quiche

One of the things I’ve come to look forward to each holiday season is the company potluck. No sign-up sheet. Just a notice telling us to bring whatever we’d like to share with our colleagues. With a good mix of cultures represented, this open invitation leads to an interesting and tasty mix of food. This year there was honey glazed ham, smoked albacore tuna dip, sushi, cold buckwheat noodles, Brazilian black bean and meat stew, teriyaki chicken thighs, pigs in a blanket, Buffalo wings, bean dip, and Shepard’s pie, just to name a few. I brought three different kinds of quiche: spinach and smoked Gouda, caramelized onion and mozzarella, and honey ham and extra sharp cheddar.

Spinach and smoked Gouda. The smokiness of the cheese compliments the spinach very well. Smoked cheeses can be too smoky for some people. You may want to use half smoked cheese and half mild cheese, like mozzarella or havarti.

Quiche is one of those foods I like to fall back on when I need something to bring to a potluck. It can be made a day or two in advance, it can be served hot or cold, and it’s easy to transport. The recipe I use is so easy (found on Food Network years ago) and even if you over-bake it a bit, the result is still smooth and delicious. I’ve tried this with many different fillings and everything has worked, so I encourage you to experiment. And it’s scalable; no need to make each quiche separately.

Caramelized onion and mozzarella quiche. This is my favorite filling. The sweetness of the onions goes so well with creaminess of the eggs.

Basic Quiche

• 4 eggs
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup half and half (evaporated milk or even whole milk is okay)
• 2 tbs flour
• ½ tsp salt (more or less to taste depending on your filling)
• shredded cheese (as little as 1 large handful to 4 oz)
• filling of your choice (well-drained cooked spinach, caramelized onions, sautéed leeks, sautéed and drained kale, ham, sautéed mushrooms, etc)
• 1 unbaked piecrust, recipe below (or store-bought is fine)

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the mayonnaise, half and half, flour and salt until nice and creamy.

In the unbaked piecrust, lay your filling and most of the cheese. Make sure the filling is well drained. Pour the egg mixture over the filling and top with the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350° oven for about 35 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set. I have two pan sizes and the smaller one takes exactly 35 minutes and the larger exactly 45. Don’t worry if the quiche puffs up; it will deflate as it cools. If you see a small crack or two, it’s probably done and will be fine.

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This basic piecrust is good for sweet or savory pies. This recipe makes enough for two crusts. If you just want to use one, the other can be frozen. If possible, roll out the crust and place in the pie pan to freeze. Then when you need to use it, just fill it and pop it in the oven. If that’s not possible, freeze it as a flatten ball and thaw in the fridge before rolling it out.

Basic Pie Crust
makes 2 crusts

• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2/3 cups cold butter, cut into smallish squares
• up to 1/3 cup cold water

If you can make this in a food processor, it will come together much faster, but if you don’t have a food processor, good old elbow grease will do. Pulse the flour, salt and butter until you get a course, but uniform mixture. Slowly add the water, one tablespoon at a time while pulsing until the dough comes together. Don’t over process. It should hold together well without being sticky to your hands or the work surface. As soon as it comes together dump it onto a work surface and knead it 3 or 4 times. Divide it in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill the dough. Once it’s chilled, roll it out until it fits your pie pan. Trim the excess or make a decorative border.