recipes that have been tried by me and have recieved my seal of approval.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Orecchiette with Toasted Breadcrumbs

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

i can't say enough about this one. COOK it...EAT it...ENJOY!!!

1 pound dried orecchiette or other small shaped pasta
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup finely chopped prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (i actually use chopped fresh spinach mostly b/c i need the iron.)

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saute pan, heat the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly. Season lightly with salt and pepper since flavored bread crumbs may already have seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain pasta in a colander. Working quickly, add pasta to the saute pan and stir to combine. Add Parmesan and the chopped prosciutto. Mix thoroughly. Pour into large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.