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Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA
On its own, pasta aglio e olio is deliciously simple: pasta + garlic + olive oil. Life doesn’t get much more pure than that. But we are going to shake things up a bit, go beyond garlic and olive oil. This recipe takes that classic dish of pasta glistening with oil, loaded with caramelized garlic and swanks it up a bit with a toss of crushed red pepper + fresh parsley + (among other things) zippy lemon zest. Mediterranean confetti, if you will. We’re taking an age-old recipe for pasta aglio e olio and giving it a plot twist of our choosing. Hence Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA (Choose Your…
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Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad
I wish everyone reading this post could jump through the screen and taste this Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad! It is bursting with bright colors + savory flavors + sundry textures. I am scarfing down another heaping helping right now. It’s a good thing I am writing and not talking because my mouth is full and NO ONE wants to see that. I was craving this Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad as I wanted to make something substantial yet light. This salad nails both of those qualifiers. The chicken adds a lot of substance, as do the noodles, while the vinegar-based dressing keeps it bright. (Excuse me while…
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Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo
I am welcoming summer with mouth wide open! Yes, I know it it only May, but in Augusta our summer starts in April. But then switches back to winter. And then we will have two outstanding weeks of spring. But now we are in summer again. Sooo…….last night I made this delightfully fresh and lively Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo. This recipe is so easy you’ll have plenty of time to do those warm weather things you love to do, like sleep in the sun or splash in the pool. Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo is sunshine on a plate. This dish is so much…
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Panang Curry Noodle Bowl
Get ready to eat the rainbow. I hope you are holding your fork because this vibrant recipe will be on your table in about 20 quick minutes! Boil some noodles. Throw all the sauce ingredients in the blender, then heat in a pan. Add noddles and garnish with your favorite crunchy + sweet + savory + herby condiments. That is it! If you don’t already know it, I love Thai food. I LOVE THAI FOOD. I mean, I crave it at least once a week. There is something about its combination of sweet + robust + salty + piquant flavors that work me into a frenzy. By the time I…
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Pasta with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
This dish is one of the most divine things ever. Another wild mushroom recipe, you ask? Absolutely, I say! And there are many more to come! I once thought cacio e pepe was the most heavenly pasta dish. Now I think it’s a toss up. My tastebuds were singing the Hallelujah chorus when I put this in my mouth. The Man (aka taste-tester extraordinaire) would agree. Damn delicious. But why so many recipes with wild mushrooms, Naked Epicurean? Because, inquisitive reader, wild mushrooms are delicious meaty (therefore a great meat alternative) rich in B vitamins…
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Pasta with Wild Funghi Trifolati
There was a tremendous heatwave in Dolceacqua this summer–throughout most of Europe, in fact—so we sought shady respite from the angry sun at a family owned and operated osteria. Gorgeous freshly prepared rustic foods adorned the tables. Creels piled high with fresh, bulbous mushrooms awaited our order. I enjoyed the ravioli ai funghi, basking in a glimmer of olive oil—a perfect light choice for a hot day. It was love at first bite. I knew as soon as I returned home, I would have to duplicate the trifolati. Trifolati. The word dances from your lips. Beautiful to say, but what exactly is trifolati? According to Saveur.com, trifolati is …
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Greek Burned Butter Pasta
Let me start by raising a glass to Diane Kochilas, queen of Greek cuisine. Unbeknownst to her, she revolutionized my recipe. This epiphany was a game changer. My pasta was already delicious, but now it is delicious X 10! Before I stumbled upon Diane’s video, I always made this dish the way my mom made it. After all, her people are from the island of Rhodes. They were obviously experts! Yes, they knew what they were doing. We loved Mom’s browned butter pasta. We begged for it. But Diane just put this recipe on steroids. Her secret? Layers. Yep. She puts a portion of hot pasta in a big bowl…
