Summer Vegetable Cavatelli with Fresh Corn “Cream” – Corn Not Cows!

There’s a restaurant near us that features a burrata-filled tortellini, served in a cream sauce fortified with fresh, sweet corn. It’s a wonderful dish, and was the inspiration for this simple, summer vegetable cavatelli.

I was going to use reduced cream, with fresh, pureed corn stirred in at the end, but then I had a thought. What if skipped the dairy altogether, and made the sauce 100% cob-based? I was also out of cream.

So, I blended the fresh corn with some chicken broth, and ended up with what looked like corn milk. At first, I thought I’d made it too thin, but after a few tests reducing some in a pan, I realized it was thickening up beautifully.

While I was very happy with this, in hindsight, I’d do a few things differently next time. I went with pancetta, but I think the smokiness of bacon would have made this even more delicious. I also think you should probably add the corn cream to the vegetables, and bring it to a simmer before the pasta is added.

Of course, this recipe will work with whatever fresh seasonal vegetables you happen to find at the market, as long as its something that tastes good with sweet corn. In related news, everything tastes good with sweet corn. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the corn “cream” (will make more than needed for the recipe)

2 ears fresh white corn, or other sweet corn

2 cups chicken broth or water

For the pasta:

2 cups cavatelli

1 tbsp olive oil

4 ounces diced bacon or pancetta (sausage would also work nicely)

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

1 1/2 cup diced zucchini

pinch of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 to 2 cups corn “cream,” or as needed

1 cup halved sweet cheery tomatoes

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

1 tbsp finely sliced basil leaves

grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Classic Macaroni Salad – Delicious is In the Details

I can’t believe I’ve never posted a video for my take on summer’s most iconic pasta salad. Whether it’s sitting next to some smoky ribs, or just a humble hot dog, this deli-style macaroni salad will always be a crowd-favorite, as long as you pay attention to a few key details.

The most important things are to not rinse the macaroni, and to let it cool before adding the dressing. If you add it while the pasta is too hot, the mayo sort of melts, and you get a greasy salad. By letting it cool, while tossing, the macaroni gets nice and tacky, and will grab the sauce a lot better.

I mention in the video, I don’t put as much sugar as many of the web’s most popular versions call for. For this much dressing, a half-cup of sugar is not uncommon, which for my taste is way too much. Since we’re adding all those sweet veggies, just a spoon or two is all you should need.

As long as you follow the technique shown, you can tweak the vegetables and dressing ingredients to your liking, but no matter what you put in, try to let it sit overnight before serving. The flavors will develop, the macaroni will fully absorb the dressing, and all you’ll need to do is taste, adjust, and serve. I hope you give easy salad a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

1 pound (4 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni, cooked in well-salted water

For the dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise, plus an extra spoon as needed

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 or 2 tbsp white sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup green onions, white and light parts

1 cup finely diced celery

3/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green pepper (I used poblano and jalapeno)

1/2 cup grated carrot

Lobster Mac and Cheese – Only Looks Hard

Every once in a while I post a video that makes a recipe look way harder than it is, and this “simple” lobster macaroni and cheese is one such dish. The problem has to do with the fact that for this kind of recipe, we’re preparing each of the main components simultaneously.    

While you finish your cheese sauce, you cook your pasta; in between stirs you cut up your lobster, and make your breadcrumbs. Nothing technically difficult, but since I decided to film the steps in the order I did them (instead of prepping things ahead and filming each component start to finish), this does look kind of daunting. It’s not.

You can actually prep these ahead, and bake before that romantic, possibly Valentine’s, dinner. You probably want to take them out and let them warm up for 30 minutes before before baking. By the way, only bake these until the tops are browned, and the inside is just hot. If you leave them in past that point, you’re risking the cheese breaking, and things will get greasy.

As far as the lobster goes, tails are pretty easy to find, and one 5 or 6-ounce tail per person is plenty with the rich, cheesy macaroni. Of course, you’ll want to check to make sure your sweetheart isn’t allergic to shellfish, because that would be a little awkward. Otherwise, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

2 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 lobster tails (5-6 oz each)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cold milk

cayenne to taste

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

pinch ground nutmeg

few drops Worcestershire sauce

4 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 1 generous packed cup)

1 ounce grated Gruyere cheese (about 1/3 cup)

1 generous cup elbow macaroni (1 cup, plus a tablespoon or so)

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

*Note: Like I said in video, make sure your mac and cheese mixture is wet and saucy in the pan, otherwise it might get dry when it bakes. Don’t be afraid to add a splash of the pasta water to loosen things up.

For the crumbs:

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter, or enough to moisten
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

 - Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until browned