Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Side Dishes as Main Meals:Orechiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs















I get bored with food easily. I am always in search of new sides, and the more unique a side is, the better I like it. I came across this recipe on a recipe blog the I belong to it. It's Giada D.'s recipe and it was generously provided for the blog by Elisha D. I was skeptical at first because the recipe sounded a little strange, but I pushed my fears aside and prepared it. I paired it with some grilled chicken. In short, the side dish was ravenously devoured with nothing left over, while the chicken sat untouched. From that point on, I made this dish solo. It is both yummy and filling. So, give this a shot and let me know what you think.
Orechiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs
1 pound dried orechiette 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 (I subbed cooked and chopped turkey bacon here)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
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.

1 comment:

smc said...

I tried this tonight as a main meal with broccoli on the side, and we loved it! It was different and very good. I thought it tasted better when it was room temperature. My husband loved it as well.