It's easy to forget what a pleasure cooking can be. When you are working, raising children, and busy busy busy, cooking can be a chore. I recently outlined why I never made this a food blog. The main reason is that I never follow recipes, and I never write anything down.
Yesterday I read through the January 2007 issue of Food & Wine, which arrived at our house last week. Besides a whole page dedicated to Clotilde*, number 61 [for Cookbooks From Bloggers] in the "100 Tastes To Try in 2007", there was a pasta recipe that called my name.
Aaaaaliiiiisonnnnn, it said.
Well, not really, but boy, it sounded good. For some reason I wanted to follow the recipe closely. Created by chef Yves Camdeborde for the brasserie/room service at his hotel, Le Relais St. Germain, this pasta recipe is fairly simple, but its flavors defy its ease. Luckily for me, Food & Wine posted the recipe on its website. I do love you readers, but you know how, um, casual I can be about recipes.
The recipe can be found here. (Please click that link) I used a can of Reese artichoke bottoms, drained, rinsed, and drained again. I also used Dreamfields penne rigate. The next time I make this (because the recipe is a keeper), I'll try light cream and/or half-and-half. Oh, and I found some frozen smoked chicken breast strips from the company that starts with Ty and ends with Son. You could probably leave out the chicken, but some tasty lardons would be delish. The original recipe calls for pasta shells, and having prepared it, I can see why. Penne is a good pasta, but shells would capture the sauce so much better.
I didn't take any photos, so you're just going to have to make this yourself. It's pretty quick, easy, and damn, it's tasty, too.
*whom we had the pleasure of meeting at her 2nd blogiversary party in October 2005...which led to my interviewing her for The Parisian.
Oh. My. Gourd. This recipe is so good!
After Ali prepared it, I had to take a look at the recipe in the magazine. She ad-libbed a bit due to lack of fresh herbs called for in the recipe, but it didn't matter.
This dish was SO good. And it is really pretty easy to prepare.
Do not fear it.
I can't wait to eat the leftovers from tonight's dinner.
Posted by: Allan | December 11, 2006 at 23:53
Oh, MY GOSH, it's just the kind of dish that I love.(my Italian genes, you know)
Posted by: Margaret | December 12, 2006 at 01:33
I am going to try this...it seems like something that not even I can miss on.
Posted by: Karan | December 12, 2006 at 01:50
My stomach is growling now... I want to try!
Posted by: Aimee | December 12, 2006 at 05:19
Looks very easy and tasty. I bet that smoked salmon would be good in it instread of the smoked chicken.
Posted by: ally bean | December 12, 2006 at 06:34
It does sound easy.
Posted by: The CEO | December 12, 2006 at 09:11
Great. Now I'm hungry!
Posted by: Chris | December 12, 2006 at 09:33
sounds wonderful. I'll have to try it.
I love to cook too.
Posted by: cassie-b | December 12, 2006 at 09:34
sounds really, really good. the picture on the link looks nice, too. i have a square dish like that - love that!
Posted by: rebecca | December 12, 2006 at 10:19
since you are soliciting questions... (aren't you? hahah)...
what would be your absolute favorite meal to prepare and/or eat? all courses? and what was a disaster, and you would never make again?
Posted by: cmhl | December 12, 2006 at 11:04
Aw, cmhl, I hate those kinds of questions!
Let me tell you this: around Christmastime, I start craving foie gras. I have never prepared it, but would love to try sometime.
I would never make that roughy-leek dish again. That was nasty. I don't know what I did wrong.
Posted by: Alison | December 12, 2006 at 11:08
I just can't stop laughing over the whole, cooking CAN be a chore thing. Just like cleaning out the brown sticky stuff in the bottom of my fridge. That CAN be a chore too.
Posted by: Mist 1 | December 12, 2006 at 12:21
mmmmmmmmm pasta in creme sauce... soon to be a thing of my past for a good six months... maybe I should make it now!
thanks ali.
Posted by: melanie | December 12, 2006 at 17:26
Ok, this will make me delurk. Hi! :-)
I followed a link from Neil's blog over here a few weeks ago and have been reading your blog some too, and have to say thank you for the link because this looks fabulous AND easy...an ubeatable combination.
Posted by: DebR | December 12, 2006 at 18:21
I had a look at the recipe, it looks so good. I love pasta with artichokes, my recipe is more simple (just artichokes, garlic, olive oil and chili), I will try that one.
Posted by: Gracianne | December 13, 2006 at 07:34
You've made me hungry...
Posted by: sandra | December 13, 2006 at 10:13