Peppery Panko Perciatelli Recipes

PERCIATELLI WITH MEATBALLS AND TOMATO-PORCINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Place mushrooms in small bowl. Pour 2 cups hot water over; soak 30 minutes to soften. Remove mushrooms from water; squeeze liquid from mushrooms back into bowl. Chop mushrooms; reserve liquid.
• For sauce:
• Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add rosemary and crushed red pepper; stir 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and 1 cup chopped porcini. Pour in mushroom liquid, leaving sediment in bowl. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare meatballs:
• Place bread in medium bowl. Pour milk over. Let stand until bread is very soft, about 15 minutes. Squeeze milk from bread; place bread in large bowl. Add veal, sausage, 3/4 cup cheese, egg, rosemary, salt, pepper and remaining porcini mushrooms. Using hands, blend veal mixture thoroughly.
• Pour oil into heavy large skillet to depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, form veal mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls; add to skillet. Cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to paper towels; drain.
• Add meatballs to tomato sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, bring to simmer, stirring frequently.)
• Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to platter. Spoon sauce and meatballs over. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

PEPPERY PANKO PERCIATELLI

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy skillet. Add panko, and saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat the remaining oil in a small pan, add pepper flakes, cook over low heat a few minutes, then add raisins and capers. Cook for two minutes, then set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wrap the pasta in a clean kitchen towel. Holding it on the edge of the counter, break it in four places inside the towel. Drop the pasta from the towel into the pot, cook about 10 minutes until it is al dente, then drain it, leaving it moist. Return it to the pot, toss with the raisin mixture, then with the panko and parsley. Season to taste with salt, and serve at once.

PERCIATELLI WITH TOMATO AND PROSCIUTTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
• Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Cut the tomatoes in quarters lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and cores. Stir the perciatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaves and cook until the onion is wilted but still crunchy, about 4 minutes. Add the prosciutto and stir 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, about 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and the crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook until the pasta is done.
• Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta-cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add half the sauce and the remaining olive oil. Stir until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta is coated. If necessary, add as much of the reserved pasta-cooking liquid as needed to make enough sauce to coat the pasta lightly but evenly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a heated platter or serving bowls and top with the remaining sauce.

PERCIATELLI WITH SHRIMP AND GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and half of garlic; sauté until crumbs are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
• Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 5 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and remaining garlic to skillet; sauté until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley, capers, and lemon peel. Add cooked pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water. Mix in 1 cup garlic breadcrumbs, adding more pasta cooking water if dry. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining garlic breadcrumbs and parsley.

PERCIATELLI WITH TUNA, CAPERS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add anchovies with capers and garlic and sauté 2 minutes, mashing to paste with back of fork. Mix in tomatoes with their juices and white wine. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add tuna and parsley and mix to break up large tuna chunks.
• Drain pasta. Add to sauce and toss to blend. Season to taste with pepper.