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Milk and Honey Cookbook
Looking for cookbooks? Jennifer Cote's cookbook
and devotional,
From the Land of Milk and Honey, is available online at
Winepress Christian Books. $13.95
Pasta salads are always popular at The New Deli. Simple recipes like this one are popular with Chef Jen, too! The pasta can be cooked ahead of time, rinsing it to cool. A bit of olive oil tossed in will keep the angel hair pasta from sticking.
The mushrooms are good marinated ahead of time as well. They even make a great side dish for a steak meal, minus the pasta! Ah, more dinner ideas. Just throw a few of those marinated mushrooms onto the grill along with that steak, for an extra treat. I've also made this pasta salad as a main dish, adding chunks of chicken and warming it up. It works hot or cold.
I used to be intimidated by "Reduction Sauces". It sounded like something best left to those French chefs. But then I realized it's just a way to get a more concentrated flavor. By boiling away some of the soy sauce/vinegar mixture, it coats the pasta much better, making for an easy pasta salad recipe that's full of flavor but easy to serve. Perfect!
Cold Pasta Salad Recipe with Angel Hair Pasta & Mushrooms
It's really easy to marinate mushrooms. Use
a zip-lock bag, adding a bit of oil to coat the mushrooms. Add a
touch of soy sauce, vinegar, and seasoning to that, letting them
marinate for a few hours (or even a day). Throw 'em on the grill for
even more flavor.
You can easily multiply this recipe if you're cooking for a crowd. This smaller recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. raw mushrooms
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1/2 TBS. plus 1/2 c. soy sauce
- 1/2 TBS. plus 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
- 8 oz. angel hair pasta
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 TBS. fresh, chopped garlic
- 1 TBS. fresh, chopped thyme and oregano (OR substitute 1/2 TBS. dry Italian herb blend)
- Parmesan cheese, optional
At least an hour ahead of time or up to 2 days earlier, toss well until oil's absorbed: > 12 oz. raw mushrooms > 1/4 c. olive oil
After tossing with the oil, add the following, stirring some: > 1/2 TBS. each soy sauce and balsamic vinegar
Let the above marinate, refrigerating if doing this the day before. On serving day, grill in iron pan (or on barbeque) until golden-browned, stirring as needed: > Marinated mushrooms, sliced (or leave whole if barbequing)
Cook in boiling, salted water, stirring often, until tender (about 6-7 min.): > 8 oz. angel hair pasta
Drain and cool the cooked pasta. When mushrooms have browned, remove from pan, tossing with cooled pasta and a sprinkling of olive oil (to keep the pasta from clumping together). Next, grill in the same pan, drizzled w/olive oil: > 1 red bell pepper, diced
When red pepper is grilled, turn heat off, and add to pan: > 1 TBS. fresh, chopped garlic > 1 TBS. fresh, chopped thyme and oregano (OR substitute 1/2 TBS. dry Italian herb blend)
Stir the garlic and herbs, letting them "steep" in the warm pan for 5 min. or more. Also, reduce the following in a pot until slightly syrupy but not burned, boiling for about 5 min. (watch closely near end): > 1/2 c. soy sauce > 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
Toss the cooked pasta and mushrooms with the red pepper mix, adding: > The reduced soy sauce-mix
Serve at room-temperature or heated up, topped with parmesan cheese if you like. Most of this recipe can be done in steps ahead of time. A great cold pasta salad recipe, although it can also be reheated in the microwave or oven.