Tuna Pâté from food & wine

  • two 10-ounce cans solid albacore tuna packed in olive oil, drained
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 6 anchovy fillets, drained
  • 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons minced capers
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery rib
  • Toast or crackers, for servingLine a 7 1/2-by-3 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of overhang. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tuna, butter, cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, cayenne, anchovies and the 3 tablespoons of capers. Season with salt and pepper and process until smooth. Scrape the puree into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover with the overhanging pieces of plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.In a small bowl, stir the 2 tablespoons of minced capers with the parsley and celery and set aside. Unwrap and unmold the pate; onto a serving dish and sprinkle the parsley mixture on top. Serve chilled with toast or crackers.

 

Spaghetti Salad from Martha

    • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
    • 1/2 small red onion, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise (about 1/3 cup)
    • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
      • 1/2 English cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
      • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
      • 1/4 cup kalamata olives (about 10), pitted and halved
      • 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
      • 1/4 cup packed parsley leaves
      • 3 ounces crumbled feta (about3/4 cup)1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly.

  • While pasta is cooking, stir together onion, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and oil. Season vinaigrette with 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and sugar.

  • In a large bowl, combine pasta, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, capers, and vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

  • Toss pasta with parsley and feta. Re-season, if desired, before serving.

 

sword fish note

Pat fish dry
mix olive oil and 1/2 lemon juiced
use cast iron skillet, heat add a small amount of olive oil, s & p until hot
cook fish 3 1/2 min on first side over med high heat
turn over cook 3 1/2 min
remove fish to a platter
add leftover olive oil and lemon juice, 1 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp butter, a bit of olive oil and 1/2 lemon juiced. Mix and cook for a min or two
add fish back to pan, spoon sauce over fish then serve

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from gearpatrol.com

Half box dried spaghetti (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole clove garlic
3 anchovy fillets, canned in olive oil
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup preferred olives (i.e. Kalamata), pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1. Start cooking spaghetti by following instructions on the box. Drain two minutes before ready, and be sure to reserve half a cup of cooking liquid for later step.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add clove of garlic, and cook until brown, about 1–2 minutes; then discard. Add anchovies to the pan and smear with a spatula until it forms a paste with the olive oil. Sprinkle red chili flakes, cook for about 10 seconds, then add tomatoes. Simmer for about 8–9 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.

3. Lower the heat, and toss in capers and olives. Fold in the cooked spaghetti, and stir to coat. Cook for an additional minute or two until preferred doneness. If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to help coat the spaghetti.

4. Plate, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.

Salmon Pasta with Green Goddess Pesto from thewoksoflife.com/

  • 1 large handful of basil (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 large handful of parsley (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 small handful of dill (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 1 small bunch of chives (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 2 scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • The leaves from 3 stalks of tarragon (stems discarded)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1½ pound salmon fillet
  • 1 pound dried fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • Zest of a whole lemon
  • First make the green goddess pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, add the basil, parsley, dill, chives, scallions, tarragon, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Next, rinse your salmon fillet, pat it dry with a paper towel, and season with salt. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon until cooked through on both sides, approximately 5-6 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the fish and your preference for doneness). When it’s cooked to your liking, transfer to a plate, and with two forks, flake the salmon.
  • Next, bring a pot of salted water up to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the garlic. Stir the garlic until lightly browned, and then add the capers. Turn the heat all the way down to low, and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream, followed by the peas. Stir to warm the peas through.
  • Add the cooked pasta and stir thoroughly until the pasta is coated in the cream. Next, add the pesto and stir to combine. Top with the flaked salmon, additional black pepper to taste, and lemon zest.

Spaghetti Puttanesca, seriouseats.com

  • 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons; 20–30ml chopped anchovy)
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1 cup (225g) whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, roughly broken up by hand (about half a 14 ounce can)
  • Small handful minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place spaghetti in a large skillet, sauté pan, or saucepan and cover with water. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.) Add capers and olives and stir to combine.
  3. Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until pasta is cooked to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).

    4.  Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce. Alternatively, drain pasta through a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta to sauce.

    5.  Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to sauce and increase heat to bring pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce loose, until pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer. (The pasta will cook more slowly in the sauce than it did in the water.) Stir in remaining olive oil, parsley, and cheese.

    6.  Season with salt and pepper. (Be generous with the pepper and scant with the salt—the dish will be plenty salty from the other ingredients.) If using, stir in canned tuna and break it up with a fork. Serve immediately with more grated cheese at the table.

Crusty Baked Shells & Cauliflower from Ina

    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 3/4 pound medium shells, such as Barilla
    • Good olive oil
    • 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into small florets (1 large head)
    • 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh sage leaves
    • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
    • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
    • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 2 cups freshly grated Italian Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, lightly packed (10 ounces with rind)
    • 1 cup (8 ounces) fresh ricotta
    • 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)
    • 6 tablespoons freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese
    • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves minced
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Fill a large pot with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the instructions on the package. Since it will be baked later, don’t overcook it! Drain and pour into a very large bowl.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat, add half of the cauliflower in one layer and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the florets are lightly browned and tender. Pour the cauliflower, including the small bits, into the bowl with the pasta. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan, add the remaining cauliflower, cook until browned and tender and add to the bowl.
  4. Add the sage, capers, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl and stir carefully. Stir in the Fontina. Transfer half of the mixture to a 10 x 13 x 2–inch rectangular baking dish. Spoon rounded tablespoons of ricotta on the pasta and spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top. Combine the panko, Pecorino, parsley and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and crusty on top. Serve hot.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Basil-Caper Butter from food & wine

  • download6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
  • 2 teaspoons drained capers, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Four 8-ounce swordfish steaks, cut 1 inch thick
  1. Light a grill. In a small bowl, blend the butter with the basil, capers and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate.
  2. In a large, shallow dish, mix the olive oil with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season the swordfish with salt and pepper and turn the fish in the olive oil mixture. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  3. Grill the swordfish steaks over a hot fire until nicely charred on the outside and just cooked within, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to plates, top each with a dollop of basil-caper butter and serve right away.

 

Swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce

swordfishFor the lemon-garlic sauce

  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • Grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoons parsley for garnish, snipped or cut into small pieces

Take the swordfish out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.

Dry off fish, salt and pepper it, put a very small amount of grapeseed oil in cast iron pan and heat until quite hot. Depending on thickness of fish cook 3-7 min on each side.

Make the lemon-garlic sauce

You can make the sauce while the swordfish steaks roast in the oven – so fast and easy to do, and the smell is addictive.

1.  Add the butter and olive oil to a small skillet, and melt over low heat. 

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over very low heat (you don’t want to burn the garlic!) until the garlic softens, add capers.  Set aside until the fish is done.

2. Use a spatula to carefully remove the swordfish from the pan and put it on a serving platter.

3.  Add the white wine to the cooking pan and stir to deglaze – remember to use oven mitts when touching the hot pan!  Pour the wine mixture into the skillet with the garlic, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to reduce the volume.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the grated lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pour over the swordfish, and garnish with the parsley.

Serving suggestions

Serve this delicious swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce with linguine or another type of pasta, a green vegetable such as steamed broccoli, and crusty slices of French bread. 

Angel Hair Pasta with Flash-Sautéed Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce, Tuna, and Green Olives

    • Kosher saltangelhair_0
    • 1 lb/455 g angel hair pasta
    • 2 1/2 cups/600 ml Flash-Sautéed Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce, heated
    • Two 6-oz/170-g cans good-quality tuna packed in oil, drained and flaked
    • 1/2 cup/55 g pitted green olives such as Lucques or Castelvetrano
    • 1 tbsp rinsed capers
    • 1/4 cup/10 g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or other fresh herbs as you like

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than the package instructions). Just before the pasta is ready, scoop out about ½ cup/120 ml of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.

Return the pasta to the pot over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce and toss to coat evenly. Fold in the tuna, olives, and capers, and then fold in a few spoonfuls of reserved pasta water to create a nice saucy consistency.

Divide the pasta among warmed pasta bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve right away.

Flash-Sautéed Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce

    • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tbsp minced, seeded jalapeño, serrano, or other fresh hot chile or pepperoncino
    • Kosher salt
    • 5 cups/800 g ripe cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved if large
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
    • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
    • 3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint, or a mixture
    • 1 tsp unsalted butter

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chile and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring often, until soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they begin to burst and release their juice, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so, then stir in the lemon zest and juice. Remove the pan from the heat, add the parsley and butter, and swirl the pan to blend them into the sauce. Taste and balance the seasoning with salt and lemon juice if needed. Serve right away.

Storage: This sauce loses its vibrancy after a few hours, so use it as soon as possible after making it.

Quick Change: Add 1 tbsp drained capers or chopped, pitted green olives with the garlic.