Lemon Linguine With Ham Recipes

COOK'S HAM LINGUINE

Steps:

• 1. While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan begins to smoke, sauté the garlic for one minute. Add the ham and continue to sauté until the ham begins to brown. Finally, add the capers and the peas, sauté for one more minute.
• 2. While the skillet is still hot, drain the pasta and add to the ham mixture. Add the lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper, and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté for 1-2 minutes to let the flavors combine. Remove from heat and toss with herbs. Serve immediately.

CREAMY LINGUINE WITH HAM, LEMON & BASIL

Steps:

• Cook the linguine. Meanwhile, tear the ham into small pieces and fry in the olive oil until golden and crisp.
• Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, then return to the pan. Tip in the cooked ham. Mix together the lemon juice, egg yolks and crème fraîche, then add this to the pan along with the basil and Parmesan. Mix in with tongs, adding a little of the cooking water, if needed, to make a creamy sauce that coats the pasta. Serve with extra Parmesan grated over the top, if you like.

LEMON LINGUINE

Steps:

• Fill just about the biggest pot you have with water and bring to a boil. When friends are coming for lunch, get the water heated to boiling point before they arrive, otherwise you end up nervously hanging around waiting for a watched pot to boil while your supposedly quick lunch gets later and later. Bring the water to the boil, cover and turn off burner.
• I tend to leave the addition of salt until the water comes to a boil a second time. But whichever way you do it, add quite a bit of salt. When the bubbling's encouragingly fierce, put in the pasta. I often put the lid on for a moment or so just to let the pasta get back to the boil, but don't turn your back on it, and give it a good stir with a pasta fork or whatever to avoid even the suspicion of stickiness, once you've removed the lid.
• Then get on with the sauce, making sure you've set your timer for about a minute or so less than the time specified on the package of pasta.
• In a bowl, add the yolks, cream, Parmesan, zest of the whole lemon and juice of half of it, the salt and good grind of pepper, and beat with a fork. You don't want it fluffy, just combined. Taste. If you want it more lemony, then of course add more juice.
• When the timer goes off, taste to judge how near the pasta is to being ready. I recommend that you hover by the stove so you don't miss that point. Don't be too hasty, though. Everyone is so keen to cook their pasta properly al dente that sometimes the pasta is actually not cooked enough. You want absolutely no chalkiness here. And linguine (or at least I find it so) tend not to run over into soggy overcookedness quite as quickly as other long pasta. This makes sense, of course, as the strands of "little tongues" are dense than the flat ribbon shapes.
• Anyway, as soon as the pasta looks ready, remove a cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta, and then, off the heat, toss it back in the pot or put it in an efficiently preheated bowl, throw in the butter, and stir and swirl about to make sure the butter's melted and the pasta covered by it all over. Each strand will be only mutely gleaming, as there's not much butter and quite a bit of pasta. If you want to add more, then do; good butter is the best flavoring, best texture, best mood enhancer there is.
• When you're satisfied the pasta's covered with its soft slip of butter, then stir in the egg mixture and turn the pasta well in it, adding some of the cooking liquid if it looks a bit dry (only 2 tablespoons or so - you don't want a wet mess - and only after you think the sauce is incorporated). Sprinkle over the parsley and serve now, now, now.

CREAMY LEMON PASTA WITH PEAS AND OPTIONAL HAM

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook about one minute less than package directions state until al dente. When one minute is left in the cooking time, add the frozen peas.
• While the pasta is boiling, heat a large deep skillet over low heat and add the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes until garlic is tender.
• To the garlic, add 1 cup of the water the pasta is boiling in, along with the lemon juice and the heavy cream. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens just a bit, about 5 minutes. Stir in the the lemon zest and 1 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary (if the sauce tastes too lemony, add a little more salt until the tartness mellows.)
• If adding ham, place an additional skillet on the stove and heat the diced ham over low heat, stirring frequently
• Drain the pasta and peas and and add it to the main skillet with the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat and gently toss the pasta with the sauce until the pasta soaks in some of the sauce, about two minutes.
• Scoop the carnivorous portion(s) into the saucepan with the ham and mix gently.
• Top with the parsley and remaining Parmesan cheese, and serve.

LEMON LINGUINE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, cook linguine in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder and lemon-pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted. Drain linguine; add to butter mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese and toss.

LEMON LINGUINE WITH HAM

Steps:

• Cook pasta following pack instructions, adding the peas for the final 2 mins of cooking.
• Drain the pasta well and return to the pan. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, then season. Serve with the ham strips scattered over.

LINGUINE WITH HAM

Steps:

• Cut the ham into thin strips, each about 2 inches long. There should be about 2 cups.
• Drop the tomatoes into boiling water and let stand 10 seconds. Drain. Peel and core tomatoes, cut crosswise in half, remove seeds and dice into 1/2-inch cubes. There should be about 2 cups.
• Slice mushrooms thin. There should be about 3 cups.
• If fresh peas are used, cook in boiling water to cover for 30 seconds or longer, depending on size and age. If frozen, put in sieve and run under hot water from faucet. Drain.
• Heat oil in skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes and ham and stir to blend. Cook over high heat about 2 minutes. Add peas, salt and pepper and stir.
• Add cream and basil leaves. Bring to boil.
• Bring three quarts of water to boil and add salt to taste. Drop in pasta and cook until tender, 3 minutes or to desired doneness.
• Put egg in large, warm mixing bowl. Drain noodles and add to egg. Add hot sauce and toss. Serve with grated cheese.

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Drop the garlic cloves into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to temper their sharpness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cloves to a food processor or blender.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, add the pumpkin seeds and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the garlic, and process until very finely ground. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the basil. Scoop 1/4 cup water from the saucepan with the boiling pasta and pour over the basil. Process the basil until ground to a paste. Add the Parmesan and oil, and pulse just until incorporated. Taste the pesto and season with enough salt and pepper to make it punchy.
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water until room temperature. Shake dry, then return to the saucepan, and add the pesto and tomatoes, if using. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among dishes to serve right away or airtight containers to pack for lunch. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan, and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.