I prepared most of the pasta dish ahead of time, so all I had to do when our friends arrived was boil the pasta and combine everything together. The recipes are from Cook's Illustrated Magazine.
Mexicali Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 2 C pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 block of cream cheese, softened
- 3 heaping Tbl of Salsa
- Handful of minced fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 C blue corn chips, crushed
Directions:
- Process all ingredients except tortilla chips in the food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Transfer cheese mixture to the center of a large sheet of plastic.
- Holding the corners of wrap in one hand, twist cheese with other hand to seal and shape into a rough ball.
- Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours
- Reshape as necessary into a smooth sphere
- Unwrap cheese ball and roll in tortilla chips
- Let sit at room temperate for 15 minutes before serving.
Pasta With Roasted Broccoli, Garlic and Almonds
Ingredients
- 2 heads of garlic, paper skins removed and top quarter of heads cut off and discarded
- 6 Tbl + 1 tsp of olive oil
- 1 head of broccoli (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 lb tortellini pasta
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tbl frsh basil
- 1 C shredded manchego cheese
- 1/4 c Slivered almonds, toasted
- Place large rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven. Heat to 500 degrees
- Cut a large sheet of foil.
- Place garlic heads, cut side up, in center of foil
- Drizzle 1/2 tsp of oil over each head and seal as a packet.
- Place packet in oven and roast until garlic tender, approximate 40 minutes. Open packet and set aside to cool
- Meanwhile, cut the broccoli at the juncture of the crowns and stems. Remove peel from stems and cut stems into 2 to 3 inch lengths, about 1/2 inches thick.
- Cut crowns into 4 or 6 wedges.
- Place broccoli in a large bown and toss with 3 Tbl of oil, 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste, and sugar
- Remove baking sheet from oven
- Place broccoli on baking sheet, cut side down.
- Return baking sheet to oven and roast for 10-15 minutes.
- When cooled, transfer broccoli to cutting board and chop into rough 1/2in pieces.
- Cook pasta according to directions, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
- Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skin into a small bowl.
- Using a fork, mash garlic into a smooth paste, stir in red pepper flakes and 2 Tbl of lemon juice.
- Whisk in remaining 1/4 C of oil
- After draining pasta, return to pot. Add chopped broccoli and stir in garlic sauce, 1/4 C cooking water, basil and 1/2 C of cheese.
- Adjust consistency with cooking water and season with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice
- Top with the remaining cheese and toasted nuts; serve immediately.
