Fideuá

This dish has become a tradition for reunions of family and friends. It doesn't have a long history like other Spanish dishes. It started in 1960 in the city of Gandia, Valencia, to create something different than "paella." They started using vermicelli noodles instead of rice and it is served with alioli (a garlic mayonnaise - check entry for patatas bravas). 

The secret of this recipe is the fish broth. The better the broth, the better the dish. If you live on the coast and have access to fresh fish, make the broth from scratch with rock fish, crabs, seafood, 1/2 green pepper, 1 onion, 1 leek, 1 celery stalk,  and 2 big carrots. Let it simmer until the liquid reduces. Finally, strain. 

Ingredients:

6 medium squid, cut crosswise
olive oil
6 baby artichokes, cut in quarters 
12 shrimp
12 New Zealand mussels or fresh Prince Edward wild mussels
6 tablespoons homemade tomato sauce
9 ounces fideuá noodles
1/2 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 pinch saffron
1 red pepper, roasted
6 cups fish broth
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges

Put the squid in a paella pan or regular pan and cook in olive oil until they lose their translucent color. Add the paprika, mixing well with the squid for about 2 minutes. Do not burn the paprika. Add the tomato sauce and stir. Add the pasta just to get it wet and the saffron, keep stirring, and then add the rest of the broth. Next add the saffron, the baby artichokes, and red pepper. Cook until the pasta starts getting tender and then add the other seafood and cook until the pasta is done. If it's getting dry, add more hot liquid (broth or water). When done, serve with lemon wedges and alioli.

Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Light Carbonara Sauce (Pasta con gambas al ajillo a la crema carbonara)

This is a very simple dish to make. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta

water

salt

1/2 onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves

5 slices bacon

1 pint cream

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta with salt "al dente." It will finish cooking when we mix it with the sauce.

In the meantime, cook the onion and the garlic in a sauce pan on low heat until it gets translucent. Then add the bacon (that has been precooked in a microwave oven until crunchy and then cut in small pieces), the cream, salt,  pepper, and shrimp. Cook the shrimp lightly in the cream sauce until done. Then combine the shrimp and sauce with the pasta and mix well, letting the sauce reduce and add the parmesan cheese.

Spaghettis a la Carbonara

This is my sister's recipe and we all get to enjoy it very much. If you are, or know somebody who suffers from gluten intolerance, you can substitute the flour spaghetti for rice noodles easily found in a Chinese supermarket. This is a super easy recipe to make and it tastes wonderful.

Ingredients:


1/2 Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Bacon Slices pre-cooked in a microwave. Put paper towel down, then the slices and cook for 5 minutes.
8 Mushrooms
Cream
Spaghetti Pasta


Boil the spaghetti until done. In the meantime, in a saucepan, add olive oil, mushrooms and onion until it is translucent. Then add the bacon and the cream, let it simmer. When all is done add the pasta. Toss all the ingredients together.

Cannellonis with mushroom filling (Canelones de Champiñon)

A great recipe to satisfy the pasta and mushroom lover. I use for my pasta "pasta de canalon", El Pavo. I bought a few boxes in Spain but you can get them over the internet at http://www.latienda.com or http://www.laespanolameats.com. But to make things simple we can use lasagna pasta and then cut it into squares.

Ingredients:


1 Box of Pasta de Canelón "El Pavo" or Lasagna instead.
1 Box of Mushrooms
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 White Onion
2 Tablespoons Garlic (already chopped)


In a pan put the water to boil, when the water starts boiling add the pasta "El Pavo" one at a time.


In the meantime, in another pan add olive oil, add the mushrooms until brown and then remove them. Add the onion and garlic, until the onion is translucent then add the mushrooms and salt. When they are done put everything in a blender or hand blender to puree.


Strain the pasta, and put it on the counter one square at a time, when this is done, add a spoon of the mushroom mix, to each one and roll them one at a time to form cylinders, then place them in a pan, with the bottom covered with béchamel. Place all of the cylinders in the pan and then add the rest of the béchamel. Top with little chunks of butter, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and put them under the broiler until golden brown.d

To make the Béchamel Sauce:


3 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoon Tomato Sauce
A pinch of salt
A pinch of nutmeg
Parmesan Cheese


In a pan put the butter to melt, add the flour and milk (warm) and start beating with a whisk. Add the tomato sauce until the mix starts to bubble, then add the salt and the nutmeg. If you get chunks of flour. Don't panic, use a hand blender to make it smooth.


The filling might vary depending on your preference. Canalones are very popular in Catalunya, specially for Saint Stephen, December 26, and they're made with "Carn d'olla" leftover meat from the soup made for Christmas Day.


One of my favorite fillings is made of "paté." Yum, yum...

Macaroni with Tomato Sauce (Macarrones)

Let's use the tomato sauce that we made in the previous entry.  If you didn't make the sauce, just use a can of tomato sauce. Who doesn't like pasta? This is a dish that all kids and grown ups love.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the pasta

1 Box of Penne Pasta
1/4 Pound Meat. If vegetarian substitute with a veggie or tofu.
1/2 Small Onion finely chopped
12 Ounces Homemade sauce or 1 12 ounce can 
3 Tablespoons white wine
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper


Put a pot of water to boil with salt and one tablespoon oil. In the meantime, cut the meat in squares and chop the onion. In a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil sauté the onion and when it becomes translucent add the meat previously cut, the tomato and the wine, let it cook. When it's done put the mix in a blender and grind it. (if you use tofu or a veggie, Do not grind it)


When the water is boiling add the penne pasta.  When it is done, drain it in a strainer.  In an oven proof  pan combine the mix with the pasta, top it with pieces of butter and parmesan cheese and then place it under the broiler until the top is golden.


Remove from the oven and serve it topped with more parmesan cheese.