Pasta with Arugula, Caramelized Onions, and Pine Nuts

Also from Mollie Katzen. I haven't actually tried this one, but doesn't it look delicious?

The notes says that prep time is about 1 1/4 hours - probably longer if you're not a professional chef. :) Save this for a special occasion dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~

The proportions of ingredients in this delicious recipe are somewhat flexible. You can play with the amounts of onions and arugula, and you can also add other leafy greens that blend well with arugula (spinach comes to mind) and make this an even greener dish.

The degree to which you cook the onions is also negotiable. The minimum amount of time they'll need to sweeten up is about 25 minutes, but you can cook them for up to an hour if you like.

Olive oil and butter combine to make a complex backdrop for caramelized onions. However, if you prefer not to use butter, you can use all olive oil.

The alcoholic content of the wine will dissipate with cooking. If you prefer not to use wine, you can use a good-flavoured vegetable broth, like Imagine brand.

You can create your own variations on this recipe. Try adding some crumbled goat cheese to the sauce at the very end of the cooking. (Megan: Did she say goat cheese??? *faints*)

You can make the sauce through Step 3 up to a day ahead.

Pasta

Preparation Time: 1 ¼ hours (mostly cooking time)
Serves 4 people

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 to 6 large onions (about 6 to 8 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup white wine or vegetable broth
1 medium bunch arugula, stems trimmed and leaves chopped
3/4 pound pasta (a short, shapely variety, like penne or fusilli)
1 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepperBalsamic Drizzle (optional) - recipe follows

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan and melt in the butter.

Add the onions to the pan, and sauté over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add salt, lower the heat, and continue to cook for at least another 10 minutes (and up to an hour for a really sweet result!)

When the onions are done to your liking, add the wine or broth, turn the heat back up to medium and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. The liquid will largely get absorbed/evaporate. At this point the sauce can be set aside until you are ready to cook the pasta.

When you are ready to cook the pasta, put up the pasta water and return the sauce to the heat. (Make sure the sauce is in a large enough pan to accommodate the pasta.) While the pasta cooks, and after the onions are hot again, add the arugula to the onions and stir it in. Let it cook in the onions for only about 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the sauce. Stir briefly in the pan before serving. Serve hot or warm, topped with parmesan, pine nuts, and balsamic drizzle.

Balsamic Drizzle

Preparation time: 30 minutes (1 minute of work)
Yield: 1/2 cup (easily multiplied)

Balsamic vinegar, that musty, dark, aged-in-wood variety many of us have fallen in love with, makes a wonderful syrup when cooked down to about less than half its volume. You can drizzle this amazing stuff over more foods than you'd ever imagine, everything from roasted vegetables and bean soups to potato dishes and pizzas. It's even great on pancakes, fruit, and frozen desserts. This might just be the most versatile one-ingredient sauce ever.

You don't need to use an expensive brand of vinegar for this recipe. In fact, the ordinary, more moderately priced supermarket varieties work the best.

Store Balsamic Drizzle in a covered container in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Theoretically it will keep forever, but undoubtedly you will use it up sooner than that.

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

Place the vinegar in a shallow pan and heat just to boiling. (You might want to open your kitchen windows, this gives off strong fumes!)

Turn the heat way down, and simmer uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vinegar is reduced in volume by about two-thirds.

Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly, and store indefinitely at room temperature.

NOTE: It if becomes too thick as it sits around, you can loosen it up by zapping it briefly in a microwave.

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

This is another absolute favourite, and it has quickly become my traditional Thanksgiving vegetable dish. From Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven.

Tips:

Make the Persian Allspice ahead of time. If you use an electric spice grinder, this will take just minutes. (Megan's tip: Or just use regular allspice from the grocery store!)
Get the rice going before you begin.
You can use peaches or nectarines in place of the sugar plums or prunes.

Persian Allspice (enough for 2 batches of stew)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 to 2 teaspoons cardamom pods
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

The Stew

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and/or butter
3 cups chopped onion
3 tablespoons Persian Allspice (above)
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes or yams (about 3 pounds)
3 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups sugar plums or prunes (fresh or dried), pitted and sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed (or 1 10-ounce package frozen leaf spinach, defrosted)
Heat the oil and/or melt the butter in a large, deep pot or a Dutch oven. Add the onion, Persian Allspice, and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Stir in the garlic, sweet potatoes or yams, orange juice, and remaining salt. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the pieces).

Add the fruit and the spinach, and give it a good stir. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes longer.

Serve hot, over basmati rice.