Trofie Pasta with Cockles, Chiles, and Black Bean Sauce
At first glance these eye-catching chile peppers look like red jalapeno. However, they have a different flavor and are less meaty than Jalapeno. Red Fresnos are great roasted and added to salsas. Try grilling them alongside your steaks or in kabobs.
When roasting these they should char, blister, and become soft. Try substituting these in your favorite chile recipes.
Ingredients:
12 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
One 750-milliliter bottle dry white wine
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp Chinese black bean-garlic sauce
1 fresh red chile (such as Red Fresno), seeded and minced
1 lb artisanal trofie or fusilli
4 dozen cockles, scrubbed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions:
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to a work surface, let cool and cut into 1-inch lengths. Reserve the water for the pasta.
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the garlic and shallots and cook over moderately low heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and bay leaves and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, stir in the black bean–garlic sauce and chile, cover and remove from the heat.
Return the water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
Bring the black bean sauce to a boil. Add the cockles, cover and cook over high heat until they open, 2 minutes. Stir in the asparagus. Add the pasta and toss. Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley and serve.
Serves 6.
Recipe by Ken Vedrinski, foodandwine.com