Friday, January 4, 2013

Studying induces Cheyne-Stokes breathing


Please see as evidence this transcript of a Gchat conversation, reproduced below:

(2:00:25 PM) Hannah: I think I want a pyruvate tattoo.
(2:01:21 PM) Andy: i think you are at that studying stage right before you hyperventilate for five or ten seconds

You heard it here first, kids.

This recipe posted on Tastespotting piqued my interest. It looks absolutely delicious, probably because it includes a cup and a half of cheese, a quarter-cup of olive oil, a cup of pecans, heavy cream, bacon, and jarred red peppers (likely packed in oil). Fats are as delicious as they are artery-clogging. For a regular weeknight meal, though, I prefer a higher delicious-to-artery-clogging ratio.

Roasted peppers. They were bright red in real life.

The sauce is a nice orangey-pink color!
Cashews have fewer calories per ounce than pecans, not to mention almost half as much fat. They tend to blend well, too. Home-broiling the red peppers doesn't take long (and can be done in advance) and cuts down on the oil as well. Finally, there's no need for the heavy cream, mozzarella, and large amount of olive oil as per the original recipe; thinning the sauce with pasta water works fine. I also didn't happen to have any fresh basil on hand, which is why I've included it in parentheses in the recipe below. I'm positive this would have been even better with it.

Penne with red pepper cashew sauce
3 large or 4 medium red peppers
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup packed grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
(1/2 cup fresh basil)
1 pound penne

Turn up your broiler to high. Halve and seed the red peppers and lightly spray or brush with olive oil. Broil until they're blistered.

Boil a pot of water and begin cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender or with a stand mixer, puree the non-pasta ingredients. When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1/3 to 1/2 cup pasta water. Thin the sauce to your desired consistency and mix with the pasta. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. Serve topped with additional grated Parmesan and chopped scallions or parsley.

2 comments:

  1. As in so many endeavors, it is often brilliant to keep it simple. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Success, using almond meal instead of cashews! What great flavor. It can become one of my semi-regulars.

    ReplyDelete