Black Garlic Pappardelle Pasta ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.cookingontheweekends.com)

photo from cookingontheweekends.com

1 lb. dry Pappardelle pasta
¼ c. olive oil (for the pasta and the pan)
¾ c. black garlic cloves (about 3 heads)
1-2 cloves (regular) garlic, minced (optional)
1 c. shallots, thinly sliced
1 c. dry white wine
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

• Cook the past in a large pot of boiling, salted water until it’s al dente, 8 to 10 minutes (the pasta should be tender, but with a bite); drain the cooked pasta, then toss with a couple tablespoons of the ¼ c. olive oil and set aside.
• If you need to, peel the garlic and roughly chop it, keeping it in relatively large chunks.
• Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with the remaining olive oil and place the pan over medium heat; add the shallots (and regular garlic, if you are so inclined) and cook until they are soft and beginning to brown (about 4 minutes); add the black garlic and toss with the shallots.
• Add the wine and turn the heat to high, letting it reduce to about 1/3; add the butter and swirl the pan around until it’s melted in the wine; season generously to taste with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce and very gently toss everything together.

Cavatelli with Cream of Beans & Clams ala ~DKBB~

Cavatelli with Cream of Beans & Clams ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.cookingwithnonna.com)

The original recipe calls for fresh clams, but I don't live where that is much of an option, so I substituted canned clam pieces and it worked well.

1 lb. cavatelli pasta
1 15.5 oz. can Cannellini beans (do not drain)
2 cans clam pieces (drain, but save liquid)
1 shallot, finely diced
15 to 20 cherry tomatoes
½ cup white (cooking) wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (dried can be substituted, adjust amount)
Pepperoncino (hot pepper flakes) to taste
Salt (to taste)
Extra virgin olive oil (can use flavor infused if desired)

• Drain clams, saving liquid, and set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions to an al dente consistency.
• In a large pan, add some olive oil and sauté the shallot, garlic, and pepperoncino; once the shallots are soft and garlic is turning gold, add the rosemary and sauté for another minute; add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 4-6 minutes; add white wine and simmer until alcohol is completely evaporated.
• Put the beans (including liquid) in blender and make a cream out of them; add a bit of clam liquid if the bean blend is too thick to easily pour out of blender.
• Add blended beans, all remaining clam liquid, and salt to taste to pan; simmer all at a medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the clam meat to the pan, cooking all for another 5ish minutes, then add in the drained cooked pasta, stirring well to mix all together, and let cook for another 3ish minutes.
• Serve with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil of your choice.