Sweet Potato Fettuccine with Cherry Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

When we do shows the most common question we get is pasta related.  And it may have something to do with the sign we keep in the booth – "Ask us about our No Sauce Pasta".  And people do!  After explaining how the well-flavored pasta doesn’t need a heavy sauce, I will often describe my favorite (and very easy) way to make a lighter style pasta dinner.  So here it is – in all it’s simple tasty charm.  But please note, this recipe is more a serving suggestion, and it can be used with many of our pastas besides our Sweet Potato.  Try this with Tomato Basil, or Garlic with Toasted Onion…

• 1 pint (10 ounces) cherry tomatoes
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 (12 ounce) package Pastamoré Sweet Potato Fettuccine
• 2 to 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise and place in a small bowl.  Mince the garlic and add to bowl.  Add salt and pepper.  Stir in the olive oil, and toss.  Set aside, but toss it once in awhile.  The idea is to let this marinate and have the flavors meld, it can sit for an hour or two.

Prepare the Sweet Potato pasta per the directions on the package.  Remember what Nan has told every one of you at some point:  Big Pot, Lotsa Water.

Put the cooked pasta from the strainer back into the hot pot, but not back on the hot burner.  Add the tomato mixture and gently toss, making sure to fully coat the pasta.  Divide pasta into four pre-heated pasta bowls.  Sprinkle with the goat cheese and serve.

Serves 4

Dark Chocolate & Pecan Fudge with Elderberry Balsamic

Fudge is an ideal treat for the holiday season, and we are happy to say we have found a recipe which is ideal for home baking.  The inclusion of balsamic vinegar may sound odd at first, but the fruit becomes a back note to the dark chocolate.

We used our Elderberry White Balsamic for this recipe, but truth be told some of our ‘dark’ balsamic work just as well – some might even say better.  We liked the Elderberry here as it is more subtle, using our Raspberry, Blackberry or Dark Sweet Cherrywould bring the fruit flavors more to the forefront.  So give it a try and let us know your result. 

This is an easy recipe which gives an outstanding result – rich, thick and not overly creamy.  The pecans give the texture needed, but other nuts, like walnuts, would also work.

• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 ¼  pound dark chocolate (five 4-ounce bars; we used 60% cacao)
• 1/8 teaspoons salt
• ½  teaspoons baking soda
• 1 can or bottle (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup Pastamoré Elderberry White Balsamic Vinegar

 

Toast the pecan pieces in a dry skillet or toaster oven over very low heat.  Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Fill a medium sauce pan with an inch or two of water and bring to a slow boil.  Chop the bars of chocolate into small consistent bits – this helps the chocolate to melt evenly.  Place the chocolate bits in the top of a double boiler or in a medium stainless bowl that can be later placed on the pan of boiling water.

Sprinkle the salt and baking powder on the chocolate bits, and stir to distribute evenly.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and Elderberry Balsamic and stir thoroughly.

Reduce heat of boiling water so it is just simmering.  Place double boiler or bowl on top of pan.  Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate just until it’s almost fully melted, about 3-4 minutes.  Watch this very closely.  If the chocolate stays on the heat too long, it could separate, get greasy or grainy.

Remove the bowl from the heat before all of it is melted and continue to stir until chocolate is fully melted and smooth, about another 2 minutes.  Stir in toasted pecan pieces.

Transfer fudge to prepared baking dish spreading to the edges to make an even layer.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Use a sharp knife along edges and cut into squares.  Store the fudge in a cool place wrapped tightly in plastic or in a zipper-lock bag.

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle Rub & Dark Chocolate Glaze

We have talked before about how much fun we are having using our new Dark Chocolate Balsamic in savory recipes.  Here is one more that follows the Mexican mole route – a fabulous combo of chocolate and chilies.  This recipe is quite easy, and we have left it free-form – you can do your own proportioning!

• your favorite cut of chicken, or a split Cornish game hen
• chipotle chili powder (to taste)
• garlic salt (to taste)
• Pastamoré Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar

Rub your favorite cut of chicken or split Cornish game hen with chipotle chili powder.  Use to your taste, the more you put on the spicier you will make the chicken.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.

Grill on medium low heat and cook until the chicken is about 80% done.  Remove from direct heat and place on indirect heat or the upper rack.  Baste generously with Pastamoré Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar.  Turn after a couple of minutes and baste again.  Do this a couple of times on each side until chicken is done.  Baste one last time on plate before serving.

Remember, balsamic vinegar can burn if the heat is too hot – so be sure and keep on eye on your dinner!

Dark Chocolate Balsamic Burgers

This is an adaptation from a fabulous idea Chef Jon had for using our new Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar in a savory recipe.  We have simply shortened it up, and took out some of the cool secondary elements he had in the full recipe.  If you want to see the full recipe, please click here.  The idea is to use the dark chocolate flavor as in a Mexican ‘mole’ – chilies, chocolate and beef are an amazing combo.

When we saw this recipe here in Nan’s test kitchen, we knew before we even tasted that it was a winner.  And then we made it, and we were more than impressed.  Chef Jon called it hilariously good; we will go so far as to say it is one of the best things we have tasted using our products.  A ten year old on our tasting panel devoured two burgers in about 4 minutes.  The chili ‘heat’ level is not overwhelming – we would rate this as slightly less than medium heat.  The ten year old agrees.

One last note, the Manchego cheese is an inspired choice in this recipe.  If you haven’t tried it, it is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese.  It has a distinctive tangy but buttery taste. If you cannot find it, consider using a gruyere or pecorino cheese.

Yup, I did burn the bun a bit...

• 1 pound ground beef (we used 80/20)
• 1 tablespoon Pastamoré Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 ounces aged Manchego cheese (regular Manchego also acceptable)
• 4 sweet hamburger buns (King’s Hawaiian are an awesome choice)

Combine the ground beef, salt, chipotle chile powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and the Pastamore Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar in a large mixing bowl.  Mix until evenly combined.  Form the meat into four even sized patties, and place on a plate to the side.

Prepare grill to medium high.  Slice Manchego cheese to divide on four burgers.

Turn on the grill to medium-high heat.   Place burgers on grill.  Turn burgers three times, about a minute to two on each side for medium rare.  Adjust for doneness you prefer.  On the last flip, add the cheese.  Two minutes should be enough for the cheese to melt sufficiently.  At this time, toast the buns on the grill.  Because they are sweet buns, they can burn faster – be advised.

Garnish away.  For our burgers, we garnished with a slice of tomato and some baby spinach leaves.  You can roll like Chef Jon with sweet potato and grilled red bell pepper.  The one thing we noted, as did Chef Jon – we did not need a sauce or ketchup.  And these were the juiciest burgers we have had in a long time.

Serves 4.