pasta – aznbbqgrrl

Recipe…for Pasta Disaster

I don’t know what it is…but every few months or so I go back to cooking pasta in the slow cooker.

It never EVER ends well.

Most pastas just don’t take very well to long and slow cooking. And the type of slow cookersco use don’t have timers.

I get excited when I find the perfect recipe for bechamel or cream sauce, whip up a batch, dump it along with uncooked pasta in the cooker, then set it and forget it.

Two hours later…

The result is usually some cheesy sodden mush that would likely impress children, but not their parents. Which is a damn shame given the time and dollars I wasted sourcing the best ingredients…only to have it end in an ugly overcooked pile.

So this is a note to self: stop making pasta in the slow cooker.

And before I embark on that slow cooker lasagna recipe…do more research!

Recipe: Gluten Free Garlicky Anchovy Penne Pasta

Anchovies. It’s a fish that doesn’t garner much affection. I suspect most people just can’t handle the strong flavor and/or odors that arise from preserving and curing the fish. It’s the basis of fish sauce found in most Asian markets–which depending on your tastes, will either be fantastically savory or revoltingly pungent. It’s also used widely in other condiments such as Worcestershire sauce and Caesar dressing. In Filipino cuisine, it is used for some bagoong (shrimp or fish paste) recipes as well as prepared fried or dried. The saltier the better!

In Western preparations, I’ve mostly encountered anchovies used very sparingly as pizza topping or salad dressing. But I’ve found anchovies most irresistible in a Sicilian pasta recipe.

I was all set to boil some mozzarella gnocchi last night when I realized that the gooey cheese paste that result

Lobster-Crab Shells and Cheese

2 4oz lobster tails 4oz fontina cheese 4oz gruyere 4-6oz aged white cheddar 1/2 cup of heavy cream 1/4 cup of milk 16oz medium pasta shells 2-4oz butter 2-4 tablespoons flour 6oz white crab meat (usually shredded but chunk okay) 1 tablespoons of fresh or dried basil (optional) garlic powder pepper (white pepper optimal) Cut…