“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” – Anne Bradstreet
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
One of the things I love about winter is cuddling up under the awesome afghan that my mother hand crocheted when she and my dad got engaged. Some of the edging started to unravel last weekend, and our awesome daughter-in-law came to the rescue. In less than a day we had this treasure back home, ready for snuggling again!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week’s recipe came from an August 1996 issue of Gourmet, a recipe from the iconic Caffe Phoenix in Wilmington, NC, which closed in 1992. It was known for its Mediterranean fare. As is so often the case for me, I find I love this dish even more reheated, melting the cheese and blending the flavors. I find the Gorgonzola and prosciutto in this delicious dish give it an earthy flavor… I can hardly wait to eat the next day’s leftovers!
CAFFE PHOENIX LINGUINE with gorgonzola, prosciutto and spinach
- 1 pound dried linguine
- 1 pound fresh spinach, coarse stems discarded, leaves washed and dried
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 pound Gorgonzola, crumbled
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted until golden
- Fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired
Bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for linguine.
Cut half of spinach leaves into thin strips and reserve remaining whole leaves.
In a large heavy skillet cook prosciutto, garlic, basil and oregano in 1/2 cup oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander and return pasta to kettle. Toss with remaining 1/4 cup oil, prosciutto mixture, cut spinach and Gorgonzola. Season pasta with salt and pepper.
Arrange reserved spinach leaves on 4 plates. Mound pasta on spinach and and sprinkle with pine nuts. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with Parmesan.
