Chili pasta with arugula and coriander seeds
This recipe comes from the cookbook Rancho la Puerta, by Bill Wavrin. I was intrigued by the idea of a somewhat Italian-style pasta but with coriander seeds and chilis as the main flavoring. I made a few modifications though.
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces whole wheat pasta (Wavrin calls for 16 ounces pasta)
- 4 Tbs. olive oil (Wavrin calls for 2 tsp. oil)
- 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (Wavrin calls for 3 garlic cloves)
- 4 dried chili peppers (Wavrin calls for 1 dried chile de arbol)
- 2 Tbs. coriander seeds
- 4 cups (6 oz.) whole arugula leaves (Wavrin calls for 6 cups chopped arugula leaves)
- 3.5 ounces parmesan, grated (Wavrin calls for 1/4 cup grated)
Instructions:
- Put on water to boil for the pasta. When it comes to a boil salt the water then add the pasta.
- Toast the chiles in a skillet for 3-5 minutes. Remove and cool, then chop.
- Add the coriander seeds to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Crush with a mortar.
- When the pasta is just about done: Add the oil to the pan and cook the chopped chile, coriander seeds, garlic, and arugula for 1-2 minute. Add the drained, cooked pasta and the cheese. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.
My notes
I liked this recipe. The garlic and chile peppers and coriander gave it some heat and a bit of exotic flavor. The arugula added a lovely fresh green color. Note that no salt is needed in the recipe because the pasta is cooked in salted water and the cheese is salty. If I make it again, however, I’ll probably do a few things differently. First, I think I might try it with a little less olive oil and/or parmesan. The pasta was quite rich. Second, I might up the coriander a bit. Surprisingly the coriander flavor was rather subtle. I would probably use 8 ounces of arugula. I didn’t cut up my chili–rather, I toasted it along with the coriander and ground them together in the mortar. But the chili pepper didn’t grind up that well, and I ended up with pretty big pieces. Maybe next time I’d use only 2 or 3 chilies and cut them up well. Finally, I think this recipe needs a little acid. Probably a squirt of lemon juice would be enough, but perhaps some lemon zest would also be a nice addition.
My final complaint about this recipe is that it’s simply not all that filling. It needs more veggies I think, or more protein. What could I add that wouldn’t detract from the simplicity of the dish? Or maybe I should just serve a veggie on the side?
Rating: B
Cookbook review: Rancho la Puerta « The captious vegetarian said,
December 31, 2010 at 9:12 pm
[…] Chile pasta with arugula and coriander seeds. I made this recipe, but added more olive oil and parmesan. I liked it. The garlic and chile peppers and coriander gave it some heat and a bit of exotic flavor. The arugula added a lovely fresh green color. I’d make some changes next time though. Original recipe: 1 chile de arbol, 2 Tbs. coriander seeds, 1 pound pasta, 2 tsp. oil, 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced, 6 cups chopped arugula leaves, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Toast the chile for 3-5 minutes. Chop. Put the coriander seeds in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Crush with a mortar. Add oil to pan and cook the chopped chile, coriander seeds, garlic, and arugula for 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and cheese. … I used 2 chiles, 1 Tbs. coriander seeds, 6 ounces pasta, 1 Tbs. oil, 3 large cloves garlic, 3 ounces arugula, 1.75 ounces parmesan. […]
Roasted butternut squash with coriander seeds « The captious vegetarian said,
September 11, 2011 at 12:31 pm
[…] of coriander seeds. I love roasted butternut sqush, and I quite liked all the coriander seeds in this recipe, and so I decided to give this one a […]