EdibleDC.com SPAGHETTI AI GRANCHI

SPAGHETTI AI GRANCHI

August 25, 2014 · Edible DC

by Giacomo Abrusci

It’s crab season here in the Chesapeake Bay region, where we cover our tables with sheets of butcher’s paper and Old Bay is king all summer long. Whether you pick your crabs up from the waterfront fish markets in southwest DC or jump right into the Bay like my father and me, here’s a recipe to have seafood lovers licking their lips all day long: Spaghetti ai Granchi, or spaghetti with crab.

First clean the fresh uncooked crabs by removing the shells and washing them thoroughly — you’ll do this when they are really cold (either by storing them on ice or refrigerating them), which makes them dormant and easier to work with — then set them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to get to business.  I like leaving the tomalley— that’s the greenish goo, otherwise known as the crab’s liver and considered a delicacy, that you’ll find on the inside of the crab once you remove the shells — but this is not everyone’s style.

Start a basic marinara sauce with some olive oil, chopped onion, maybe some hot pepper, a mouthful of white wine, and some fresh crushed tomatoes. When the sauce is simmering nicely, add the crabs and let that cook uncovered on low heat for at least thirty to forty-five minutes.  Add a little more water or wine if the sauce is starting to get too thick and then add salt and pepper to taste.  Once you’re ready, move the crabs to a serving platter and cook your spaghetti until it is just al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to your sauce with a fistful of fresh parsley and serve with the crabs or as two separate courses.

A delicious alternative to our usual Old Bay steamers!  Click here to learn more about crabbing and fishing in our area.

orecchiette with chorizo and swiss chard

My mother would faint at the idea of using chorizo but this recipe is begging for it in the winter.  Chorizo is much like any other pork sausage only lends a heartier flavor from smoked paprika.  The version I grabbed from Whole Foods even uses a touch of cinnamon and allspice- all the better for a crisp winter night.  Now this is truly a 20 minute meal- put your salted pot of water to boil and gently sautee a chopped small onion with hot pepper.  As soon as the onion starts to soften add a pound to a pound-and-a-half of chorizo meat with the casing removed. Break the meat apart and mix evenly as it cooks over medium heat.  At the same time wash and chop about a pound of swiss chard into one inch pieces.  When the meat is cooked add half a cup of white wine and the swiss chard to your pan, cover and lower the heat.  At the same time when the water comes to a boil, add a pound of orecchiette and cook until they're just al dente.  Drain the water and in the same pot fold in the meat-chard mixture, stir over high heat for 30 or so seconds then remove from from the stove, plate, and serve with some fresh parmigiano and a heavy red wine. 

2 pot 1 platter meal. roasted lamb and risotto

So I told you a while ago how to make real risotto here and how to cheat and make a super easy risotto here, but now we'll quickly and easily round off our meal with a ruota di carne.  So easy it cooks itself.  Get a leg of lamb (you can use it whole or  butterflied and in smaller pieces is even easier) mix it with a pile of your favorite root vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes; season and marinate them however you'd like (I love to throw in fresh rosemary, sage, garlic and cured olives) then toss everything in an oiled pan or casserole, cover and cook at 400 degrees, for about 15-20 minutes per pound.  Calculate more or less how long everything will be the oven and plan dinner accordingly.  When the meat is done, take everything out, serve it over your favorite risotto and WHAM, that's a hearty dinner.

garlic shrimp with toasted almonds almonds over quinoa.

This is a stretched variation of a Bahraini dish I learned in college.  Cook some plain quinoa and set aside (2 parts water 1 part quinoa bring to a boil and let simmer for 15-20 minutes) in a serving platter.  Then in a large pan gently brown some garlic in olive oil then toss in some chili pepper and defrosted, peeled and deveined shrimp (figure at least a couple per person depending how large they are).  Let them cook 5-10 minutes on medium-to-high until they're pink and starting to go golden brown.  Remove and layer the shrimp over the rice then quickly, on low-to-medium heat toss in a handful of sliced almonds, let them brown (it only takes seconds, if you walk away they'll burn), if you like quickly deglaze with a few teaspoons of vermouth  then pour the almonds and seasoned oil over the shrimp and quinoa, crack some black pepper, garnish with chopped parsley and be ready to wow your guests.

fastest risotto on earth - and it's totally cheating

Every once in a blue moon I end up just having way too many peppers, or pumpkins or something I have to use up.  The easiest thing to do is cook whatever the heck down, maybe throw it in the food processor and make a soup. Freeze it in portion-sized containers and there's dinner when you're in a rush.  Well, having a semi-constant supply of soup in the freezer can make a guy a little creative... just use that instead of water when boiling rice.  If you don't have any frozen (and you probably don't because you're not a crazy person or your mom in the 70's) choose your favorite boxed quart of soup from Trader Joes or Whole Foods, bring 2.5 parts of the soup and 1 part rice it to a near boil then cover and shift off the heat or let simmer for 20 minutes.  If it's too "dry," raise the heat again and add a little more soup, a little too "wet" raise the heat to medium and stir till it's the right consistency (don't let it stick to the bottom!).  Use anything from butternut squash to creamy tomato, this is TOTALLY CHEATING but I love it.  This can be as vegetarian as you want - you decide how much cheese or pepper you want to add at the end.

Summer rice.

Great for the summer.  Just a plain yellow rice, use a standard recipe or buy it already seasoned but when you put the water to boil add half a chopped onion and a cup and a half or corn (frozen is fine but roasted or grilled is better).  After the water boils, add the rice, cover and let sit for 20 minutes or so.  In the mean time caramelize a large onion and about 5 cups sliced hot peppers then added that to the cooked rice, chop an entire bunch of cilantro, add 3 tablespoons or capers, black pepper and you're done! Great with seafood or by itself, everyone goes back for seconds.

yellow rice and seafood.

Seafood and yellow rice- 25 minute total cheat recipe that 100% of the ingredients can be hiding in your freezer or cupboard.  Prep a standard yellow saffron rice, if you want even get the already seasoned dry rice, get your water to boil and just when you drop in the rice (for 4 people), throw in two cups of frozen chopped mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, onion), and 3-4 cups of cut frozen mixed seafood (scallops, shrimp, calamari), add butter or oil as directed on whatever rice  you choose, let that come to another full boil (covered), then shut off the heat and let that steam itself for 15-20 minutes.  If the rice is still watery, turn the heat back on and simmer uncovered for a few minutes and if it's to dry and slightly crunchy, simmer gently uncovered and add water 3/4 of a cup at a time till its perfect. Add some chopped parsley and you're DONE.

cavatelli with minced chicken, peppers, mushroom and tomato

This is a great pasta dish (pasta alternatives listed at the bottom) if you're looking for some lean protein and fresh vegetables.  Heat some olive oil and caramelize half an onion some garlic then add some hot pepper flakes.  To that, add two chopped green peppers, 4-5 diced plum tomatoes, a handful of chopped mushrooms and a pack of ground chicken  (I prefer to cut my own chicken breast in cubes then mince through a food processor-that way I know exactly whats in my ground meat).  Season with some salt and stir occasionally till the chicken is fully cooked and the peppers are tender.  Mix with cavatelli or your favorite pasta, add fresh parsley and your done!  If you're being anti-pasta for diet or gluten reasons try over brown rice, quinoa or even over a bed of fresh baby spinach. 

easiest pizza ever

My sister Angela just did this for my niece's birthday and it's seriously an no brainer and works every time.  Its fantastic if people are coming and you need just a little something extra, it's great to make early in the week to bring to work for lunch, awesome for picnics and even a great idea to take a couple pieces for road trips.  So, you make your standard pizza dough OR honestly, if you don't have time I know Trader Joes and a bunch of other grocery stores sell them already made, or just swing by almost any pizzeria and they'll sell you enough for a pie of like 2 bucks.  Spread it out in a buttered cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, push in a bunch of halved cherry tomatoes, spread a chopped onion on top and season with sea salt.  Maybe let it rise another couple minutes at room temperature then throw it in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes or until its golden brown.  (tip: cut pieces with kitchen scissors instead of a knife) Great if you're looking for low cholesterol low fat meal and much nicer than serving plain bread.

Pasta e fagioli

Craving pasta but looking for some extra protein and fiber?  This is something my parents would often make in the winter with the leftover pinto beans from the garden that they would freeze.  In our case today, used drained and canned pinto beans or soak and drain the dried ones.  Some people like to make this more soupy but i Like mine better like this.  Choose your pasta but keep the shape small enough to match the shape of the beans- orechiette work perfectly.  Then in a saucepan with olive oil, sautee a chopped yellow onion with some hot pepper (I’ve been using habaneros these days) and a bit of salt.  After the onions soften put your pasta pot with water to boil and add 2-3 chopped tomatoes to the saucepan. After about a minute add 2 cans (or the equivalent) of the pinto beans, cover and leave on low heat.  After the pasta is aldente, drain the water, then mix the beans with the pasta in the same large pot over medium to high heat for 30 seconds to a minute stirring constantly then plate and serve with some black pepper (fresh parsley if you have it) and your favorite grated cheese.

mushroom risotto

So there's really no healthy way to get around this but every once in a while you need to indulge- ESPECIALLY on a rainy winter day like this.  Over low heat in a large pot, coat the bottom with bit of olive oil and sautee half a red onion and some fresh garlic with about a tablespoon of salt.  Then toss in a 2 cups of unrinsed arboro rice (we always use arboro for risotti) and toast that for about 30 seconds to a minute, constantly stirring.  Add a cup and a half of white wine and half a stick of butter.  Once everything mixes and sets (about another minute or two) add a cup and a half of chopped, dried porcini mushrooms and four cups of water (for a richer risotto substitute a broth for the water just be careful as it can get salty).  Once that all comes to a boil I like to throw in a diced tomato or two and finely chopped chives if you have them, give it a big stir, cover and shut the heat of.  Let that to sit for 15-20 minutes and the rice should absorb all the liquid.  In the end the risotto should be thick but loose and not watery.  If it turns out too dry and the rice is a bit crunchy, stir in more water or broth over low heat, half a cup to a cup at a time- and if you feel its too loose just keep it over low heat for a bit- just be sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Just before serving add 3/4 of a cup of grated parmigiano cheese, plate and serve with some cracked pepper and some fresh mint or basil leaves. 

pasta with squid ink

OMG this was sooo good.  My gift from Shannon from Barcelona, it was an already prepared seafood and squid ink sauce.  The pasta got cooked with it and man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I'm looking everywhere to try and find it in the US.

REWARD for anyone that can find me some!

baked cheese tortellini with eggplant

Throw a chopped eggplant, bell pepper and garlic with a touch of salt and olive oil in a saucepan and cook on medium heat till the garlic just starts to brown then add a 12 oz can of crushed tomatoes.   Stirring occasionally cook everything till eggplant is tender then remove from heat and set aside to cool.  Drop your cheese tortellini in a pot of boiling water--they'll sink to the bottom but as soon as they float to the top collect them with a slotted spoon and they're done.  Gently fold in the tortellini with the eggplant and sauce, move everything to a large oven-safe casserole and cover with a generous layer of Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 275 for 10-12 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble but doesn't quite burn.  Carefully remove and set aside for a minute to slightly cool but should still be served hot.  A helping of this with some cracked pepper and some fresh basil will keep you going back for more.  Sure to please almost any crowd.

couscous with mixed vegetables [and optional shredded chicken]

Cook your couscous as indicated on the box but calculate that in the last five minutes or so you throw a cup of frozen peas and a cup of frozen corn on top.  After its done, transfer to a large serving bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, a dozen or so sliced cherry tomatoes, half a red onion and a finely chopped red pepper and give it all a stir. Thats it.  If you have some other veggies lying around throw them in too.  If you want to go up another notch pull the meat off a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (or roast your own) and add that to the mix.  Great served cold so you can prep this a while in advance.

sardinian pizza

Great cheese-less pizza that's just meant for hot summer days.  Toppings are super Sardinian and pretty easy to find..   Tuna (try and find better quality tuna packed in oil- otherwise regular canned will do fine), red onion, tomatoes, capers, cracked black pepper and sea salt.  Probably one of the healthier pizzas you'll sink your teeth into anytime soon.  
In case you forgot how to make the dough: 1 packet active dry yeast 3 ½ cups all purpose unbleached flour, 1 cup semolina flour (#1 durum wheat),1 ¾ cups warm water (80˚ F), a touch of olive oil, and just a sprinkle of salt.... 20 minutes at 375 or till the crust is golden brown. 

cold cavatelli with pesto

I don't know what the temperature is like where you live but this time of year in DC it's about a thousand degrees and ninety-nine percent humidity.  This COULD make dinners and entertaining less tolerable than expected, even if you do have killer AC.  One FOOL PROOF dish you can always count on is just plain pasta and pesto.  Make it the night before and leave it in the fridge or earlier in the day so you there's plenty of time for the food (and your kitchen) to cool off.  Just boil a pound of pasta as per usual.  Pictured above are cavatelli, but feel free to use whole grain pasta or even cheese ravioli. Drain them then gently fold in a 2 or so cups of pesto.  You can find it already made in almost any grocery store but if want to try your own pull out your blender and the basic ingredients are olive oil, basil, garlic and salt.  If you want, use cheese instead of salt or add some pine nuts or walnuts for a variation.  This is as easy as can be and acts as a pasta salad or main dish.  A tupperware of this in the office the day after is pretty off-the-chain too.

Pasta and broccoli rabe with fried garlic and chilies

A unique pasta dish that doesn't get old- and shockingly healthy.  Buy two nice bunches of broccoli rabe, wash them well, cut the ends and split and thick harder stalks.  Put an extra large pot of water over the heat with a bit of salt and when it gets to a hard boil throw in the broccoli rabe and a pound of pasta.  Stir occasionally till it gets back to a boil.  At the same time in a frying pan over low heat- just lightly brown some garlic and chopped fresh chilies in olive oil and a bit of salt (I like habanero peppers for the extra kick).  When the pasta is done (15 minutes or so- aldente by taste) drain the water well, toss every thing in a large bowl and pour the hot garlic and pepper seasoned oil over top.  Mix and serve.  This spicy-bitter-savory combination is a great and refreshing meal for a nice summer day.

mamma's potato pizza

Learned this from my Mom and have yet to meet someone who doesnt like it.  Get your standard (room temperature) pizza dough (I know I have a recipe in here some place) and spread it out in a greased cookie sheet.  Pat it with your finger tips till its as close to the edge as possible. Next comes a layer of mozarella or provolone- or even better BOTH.  Then add a layer of sliced boiled potatoes, season with fresh rosemary, cracked pepper and drizzle a touch more olive oil.  It you can let that sit for a few more minutes while your oven is preheating so it can rise a bit more and fill in the corners but whenever youre ready throw it in a 375-400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes till the crust is golden and lifts easily from the pan when you slip a knife underneath.  Its fantastic, can be eaten hot, room temp or even cold-  even makes a great lunch for the day after.

Sardinian flavors

Sardinia is known for its waters rich with tuna and that very fish has become a staple in traditional Sardinian fare. A common combination of flavors will be tomato, red onion tuna and capers.  Perhaps a little fresh basil or black pepper on top but thats it.  Makes my mouth will water just thinking about it.  It's one of my favorite "sauces" for pasta and that combination might be my favorite topping for a pizza.  So simple and easy but fantastic.

Red jasmine rice risotto with zucchini

Gently sautee a handfull of chopped garlic, onions and shallots then deglaze with a mouthfull or two of white wine.  Throw in red jasmine rice add water and let it cook for 45 minutes.   When the rice is just about tender drop 2-3 thinly sliced zuccini on top, cover and basically let them steem for 5 or so minutes.  Just before youre ready to serve add a generous amount of parmiggiano cheese and a bit of mozarella, fresh basil, black pepper and voila. Its pretty addictive and one serving usually isnt enough.