So Monday’s recipe selection is one of those that was truly born of inspirational ingredients. When possible, I like to shop with very little in the way of a framework in mind, preferring to do my meal planning around what I find that looks good that way I can take advantage of spectacular market finds. Now the current pandemic has certainly curtailed my browsing ability, and definitely forced me to take a more intentional approach, so I’ve developed a pretty efficient shopping strategy which still affords me the opportunity for pleasant surprises at the weekly Saturday, 32nd Street Farmers Market in Baltimore. That said, I’ve been making a habit of picking up a bag of fresh pasta every week from Impasta Artisans. Impasta is start-up, helmed by DC restaurant veterans that was pretty much born out of these turbulent times and the need to use ingredients and supplement income while dine-in activities are suspended (check them out on IG: Impasta_artisans). One of my fave little produce stands (San Giovanni’s Farm) has been part of their distribution network and I’ve loved everything I have gotten so far (remember Pasta Alla Norma from IG? That was their Rigatoni). This Saturday I was early to the market, and was fortunate enough to arrive at this particular stall in time to find myself staring at a lone container of squid ink spaghetti that was dark as night and seemed to be calling out to me (not really, but I did snatch it right up). It was one of those inspo moments! I was immediately transported to the Italian coasts; sunshine, seafood, sparkling waves, briny flavors, the smell of lemons filling the breezes as they whip around spectacular cliffs and float through fabulous Palazzo courtyards...pure heaven. I figured, while stuck at home, why not use this opportunity to let dinner transport us to the Amalfi coast and indulge my Italian fantasy.

Now, this recipe is actually pretty simple, the ingredients are usually easy to find, and generally do not require a lot of prep. I found some adorable golden cherry tomatoes that I decided to blister to add to the sauce, but canned or jarred substitutions would work just as well. On a visual note, I originally had this instagram vision of inky black pasta, plump pink shrimp, ivory slivers of garlic, and fiery red calabrian chiles in my mind, but I had to settle for green thai peppers just based on availability but I think it turned out just fine. Finally, one important process note is that this recipe does call for using shrimp shells to make a stock. While not critical, I highly recommend opting into this step. The process is not complicated, but it does take a little bit of time, and is OH SO worth it. The briney stock combined with the brightly acidic tomato sauce and the rich butter is what gives this dish its umami tones and makes it so luxurious despite the relative simplicity. I hope you enjoy!

Squid Ink Pasta, Shrimp, Cherry Tomato Brodo & Crispy Garlic

Inspired by a recipe from Bon Appetit by Dawn Perry

INGREDIENTS

1 pound large shell-on shrimp
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, divided, 2 smashed, 4 thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 cup blistered cherry tomatoes
(tomato passata or puréed whole peeled tomatoes are a fine substitute)
3 Tbsp. salted butter
12 ounces squid ink spaghetti
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
¼ cup red Calabrian or green Thai chiles, finely sliced
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
Salt & ground black pepper
Pecorino Romano to serve (optional)
Crispy Garlic

RECIPE PREPARATION

Peel and devein shrimp, saving shells.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high and cook smashed garlic, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.
Add reserved shrimp heads and/or shells and cook, stirring, until bright pink, about 2 minutes.
Add bay leaf and 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until stock is slightly reduced and flavorful, 8–10 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
Add sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Remove skillet from heat and carefully add tomatoes, butter, and 1 cup stock.
Return to heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is beginning to thicken, about 3 minutes.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded, about 3 minutes.
Stir in reserved shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (if using fresh pasta, this will take just a moment or two). Drain pasta, reserving 1½ cups pasta cooking water.
Add pasta and 1 cup pasta cooking water (only if it looks like it needs more liquid) liquid to sauce and cook, tossing often and adding more cooking liquid to help finish cooking pasta, until pasta is al dente and sauce is thickened (but still saucy) and coats pasta, about 5 minutes.
Add lemon juice and ¼ cup parsley; toss.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve pasta topped with more parsley, chiles, crispy garlic, and pecorino romano.

Many of my fondest food memories come from my time living in Guadalajara Mexico. While I’ll probably never be able to decide on an absolute favorite, I can say that come summer, there is nothing better than when the corn comes into season and you can find Elote stands on every corner. Many a sunny Sunday I spent strolling Tlaquepaque with a blistered corn cob in hand, covered in crema, cotija, chilies, and lime. This drool worthy, and addictive snack is often also served in a bowl with the addition of mayo and goes by the name of Esquites. With the bounty of Maryland corn reaching it’s peak at the local farmer’s market, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to relive some of these tasty moments by creating a homage to my beloved Mexican Elote and Esquites. I served this with grilled swordfish, but it great along side any protein or even as a stand-alone salad with the addition of shrimp or chicken. This is a simple recipe, perfect for a picnic or the dinner table as it can be served chilled, room temp, or warm. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 ears of fresh corn – I used both white sweet and bi-color corn from Baltco. Farmer
1 bunch green onions – finely sliced, 1/3 of green tips reserved for garnish
1 small white onion – finely diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
5 oz Cotija Cheese – finely grated (+ more to taste)
1 Jalapeño or Serrano pepper – finely sliced (optional)
3 tablespoons Mayo
Evoo or melted butter
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper flakes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (+more if you like spice)
1 tablespoon Tajin (optional)

Preparation:

Charring the Corn: Brush corn with a light layer of olive oil or melted butter. Char on the grill, turning often until golden/brown, but not black. Alternatively, you can place cobs on a baking try, and broil on high, turning until evenly browned. Timing will vary greatly here, so this is a visual thing and may take some practice. Either way, a little extra char never hurts.

Preparing the Esquites: Now, this prep is admittedly a bit more involved than a traditional street cart presentation which is generally grill-to-cup and has a refreshing crunch and spicy bite to it. My version leverages sautéing the onions and garlic to build a deeper flavor before mixing with the corn, allowing it to both achieve richness and maintain freshness. While your corn is charring, sweat green onions, white onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent but not browning. This should table about 5 minutes and that’s, you can remove from heat. Once corn is charred and has cooled enough to be safe to touch. Carefully use a sharp chef’s or paring knife to remove the kernels from cobs and add to sauté pan. Break up any large pieces with a spatula and combine with the sautéed alliums. While still a little warm, add half of the mayo and mix well (this allows the mayo to liquify and coat all the corn). Spoon into a non-reactive bowl and place in the fridge to cool. You can leave it in the fridge for a few hours if you want to serve the Equites chilled, or just 30 minutes to get them to room temp as I did. While corn chills, blend pepper flakes with olive oil until it forms a red paste. Set aside, you will use this to garnish the final dish. Once at the desired temperature, add tajin, remainder of the mayo, ½ the cotija and mix well. Move to your serving dish and top with the remaining cotija. Drizzle pepper paste on the top of cotija peak and garnish with remaining green onions and sliced Jalapeño.