28 July 2008

Taste & Create - Roasted Garlic & Grape Tomato Pasta with Basil & Arugula


For those of you who frequent my blog you know that I never miss the Taste & Create event which gets bigger and bigger each and every time. It is the brainchild of Nicole (aka Myamii) over at For the Love of Food . I love to visit her site for all the delicious recipes and tidbits of very helpful information. She even has an on-line store with wonderful kitchen gadgets and gourmet foods. If you haven't had the chance to visit this very busy woman please take the time...you will be glad you did.

The premise of the Taste & Create event is simple... we are paired with another blogger... we choose a recipe from their extensive posts...we prepare the dish and then... blog about it. I love this event because I am able to showcase someone else's blog, a favourite dish or just rave about a blogging friend. The blogosphere is filled with delicious recipes that are piling up waiting for me to try. It's time to get some of them out from the blogosphere and into my kitchen!!!! Taste & Create allows me to to do just that each and every month!!! What could be better!

This month I was paired with I don't know, what do YOU want to eat . This blog is put together by a talented group of bloggers BuffaloPaddy, MissCatCabana , LMoney , FigSister, Dr.Schmeckman ,Sweetpea ,Honeycrisp ,Cardamomma and Haroset Honey . With so many talented bloggers it was very hard to decide what to prepare for this months event.

I decided upon this pasta dish by Rachel Ray. My decision came about only after finding a combination of arugula and mustard greens at the local farmers market yesterday. This recipe was in keeping with what we have on hand at this time of year. I should have remembered to pierce the skins of the grape tomatoes because I heard many popping sounds coming from within the depths of the oven.

This pasta dish was simple to prepare with a depth and smoothness of flavour that only roasted tomatoes and garlic can provide. The arugula and mustard greens gave it a little added nip.

**Roasted Garlic and Grape Tomato Pasta with Basil and Arugula**

1 pound penne rigate
2 pints grape tomatoes
8 to 10 cloves garlic, cracked but left in skins
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus some, for drizzling
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a few generous handfuls
1 cup basil leaves, about 20, torn or shredded
2 cups coarsely chopped arugula

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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the grape tomatoes on a cookie sheet with the garlic. Coat the tomatoes and cracked garlic with 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and season with lots of salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes.

After you put the tomatoes and garlic in the oven, place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil for the pasta. Salt water, add pasta and cook to just-shy of al dente, maybe 9-10 minutes. It needs to have a real bite left to it because it will sit in the sauce for 2 minutes later on and continue to cook. Heads up: you will need 2 ladles of starchy cooking water just before draining, about 1 -1/2 cups.

After 20 minutes, remove the roasted garlic from the skins and mash into a paste with the side of your knife. Transfer the garlic paste to the bottom of a pasta bowl. Using a fork, mix the garlic into 2 ladles of starchy pasta cooking water, about 1 -1/2 cups. Add the tomatoes to the bowl and mash them with a potato masher until a sauce forms and tomatoes are well combined with garlic broth. Add penne, grated cheese, arugula and basil and toss a minute or 2 to allow the pasta to soak up flavors.

Serve, drizzled with a little extra olive oil and/or more cheese. Best Blogger Tips

28 comments:

  1. A great creation! That's an extremely yummy pasta dish!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. Your pasta dishes are always packed with flavour Val..this ine is no exception...love the addition of the arugula and mustard greens.

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  3. Umm, roasted garlic is the new butter.

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  4. This looks delicious Miss Valli! I love how fresh and wonderful this must have tasted!

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  5. AnonymousJuly 28, 2008

    Wow, this has all my favorite stuff in it...it's beautiful Val.

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  6. Oh that looks so good. I love roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic so this one has me written all over. I will be trying this before the week is out!

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  7. Someone must be putting something in the water making us all crave pasta. I'm betting it's the pasta companies.

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  8. Lovely! I love roasted garlic and of course the flavour combinations are classically Italian. Buon appetito!

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  9. I think I'll be able to start picking some of my tomatoes today, and this would be a great way to use them!

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  10. Val, I'm in the middle of writing about arugula and pasta, which is very yummy, and have been procrastinating something fierce. You've just inspired me to get back to work and finish it - thank you SO MUCH!

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  11. Try this recipe with Al Dente Pasta. I used the Whole Wheat Fettuccine but it would be great with the Garlic Parsley, as well. Amazing! And, the pasta cooks in just 3 minutes so the kitchen doesn't heat up.

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  12. Just look at all the goodness on that plate. The roasted garlic is something that I think just makes it totally extra special.

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  13. Love this recipe Val! I was picturing it with my own green garlic and my mouth was watering. A must-try for sure.

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  14. YES! I absolutely love the roasted tomato action first! This looks yummers - I'm totally trying this recipe. I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

    -DTW
    www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

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  15. A great choice. It looks so fresh and inviting.

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  16. A great choice. It looks so fresh and inviting.

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  17. Delicious! It must've tasted fabulous. I put roasted garlic in everything these days.

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  18. AnonymousJuly 29, 2008

    Oh my Lawd, Val. My mouth is watering. May I have a napkin, please? Oh...and as long as you're passing the napkin, I'll have a plate of this, too. ;)

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  19. Oooh Val, I love this pasta dish! I definetely should visit Taste and Create and get in that list! It looks so yummy :D And I'm sure the oven's tomatoes make a difference ;-). I bet you can get indestructible when eating your dish too!!!!!!!!

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  20. all my favorite ingredients, yum!

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  21. the best summer food is a pasta salad, and this one is perfect

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  22. I can't wait to try this....Oh so yummy!Thanks! Susan

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  23. I'm so glad you loved this recipe. I really did too. I remember watching the Rachael Ray episode while on a chilly trip to Chicago last winter and fantasizing about what it would taste like with summer tomatoes! I'll have to make it again.

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  24. AnonymousJuly 29, 2008

    Looks absolutely fabulous!

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  25. Wow, that looks really fragrant and delicious, stuffed with fresh green stuff. Yum!

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  26. Oh, looks utterly delicious and fresh!

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  27. Looks like a very tasty pasta dish. I could eat roasted garlic with every meal...but I would probably then live a very lonely life

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  28. That pasta looks so yummy especially with the arugula! Yum!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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