the mehallo blog. beta.

Serving suggestion

A few weeks back I got together with a bunch of cool font designers for a Typnic (type picnic) in Golden Gate Park. Of course, I had to bring my type pasta salad.

The recipe is inspired by both Jamie Oliver and Tom Colicchio – in that I’m borrowing a few of their ideas. Alphabet pasta can be found (in California) in the Mexican section of the supermarket, or there’s online sources.

For the recipe, I’m just going to list what I start with (sometimes I make it overly complex if I have a lot of ingredients on hand); simply add whatever you want, have fun with it  . . . . 

mehallo’s type pasta salad

ingredients

Alphabet pasta
Use a package or two. Prep it by directions, then let cool before adding to salad. Note: It can help to lightly fry the pasta in olive oil before boiling, the pasta will hold up better in the salad.

Fresh veggies
I use a bunch of crunchy stuff: Chopped carrots, shallots (or onions), peppers, celery. Fresh cut corn, shaved off the cob gives the whole thing a hit of sweetness, balances out the other flavors. You can also add fresh green beans, chopped parsnips, cooked artichokes, whatever’s on hand.

Canned ingredients
Try different beans, kidney, garbanzo, black-eyed peas. Black olives, sliced are great; I use Musco’s Mediterranean Pearls which are marinated in wine vinegar and other cool stuff. Drain everything before adding to the salad.

Dressing
As a base, I use Ken’s Steak House Lite Caesar; it’s a really good oil-based Caesar with aged romano. I also mix in a store-bought balsamic dressing and a really good olive oil. And you’ll need a basic vinegar for the fresh veggie marinade.

Seasonings
Fennel seed is key to the recipe. So are smoked paprika (McCormick makes a great one), dried oregano, fresh ground pepper and some grated lemon peel (sliced lemons make a good garnish). Fresh cut parsley and oregano also work well.

Cheese and meat
These are finishes: Grate a nice hard cheese over the whole thing. And prosciutto – roasted, cut small and mixed in with large cuts thrown on top – adds the final touch. Try experimenting with different cheeses, bacon, different types of ham, salami, chicken, tofu.

to make

Veggie marinade
Marinate the crunchy stuff (carrots, shallots, celery). Throw in a small bowl filled with vinegar – and throw in some fennel seeds. Let sit for 20 minutes or so while you prep the rest of the salad. The vinegar does a great job of taming the shallots (or onions) and slightly pickling the carrots and celery.

Pasta
Prep pasta and set aside.

Roasted ingredients
Take any of the veggies that’ll roast well – such as the peppers and corn – and throw it in a roasting pan, sprinkle the smoked paprika on top and add the chopped prosciutto. Broil until browned (do not blacken the prosciutto). Cool with ice. Save the large cut prosciutto for garnish. Drain everything and add to salad bowl.

Finishing up
Drain the veggie marinade and add to bowl with pasta and roasted stuff. Add the canned ingredients.

Mix in a whole bunch of the caesar dressing, a slosh of the balsamic dressing and coat everything with the olive oil.

Stir in the rest of the seasonings, black pepper – taste for flavors (if not sweet enough, add a hit of sugar; though the corn tends to do its job). Grate cheese over the dish and add the large cuts of prosciutto on top. Chill a bit.

Eat when hungry.

tags: culinary, recipe, typography // 1 comment  . . .