If you have been watching MasterChef Professionals, you may have seen the Italian challenge earlier this week. There was a restaurant challenge and the challengers had to ensure one of their dishes included Barilla pasta.
The lovely people at Barilla decided to challenge me as well. I received the recipes under embargo before the episode aired, and was challenged to choose one to cook, but add my own twist.
I couldn't help myself and ended up playing around with both recipes, Orecchiette Vongole and Casarecce with Rabbit, Cavolo Nero, Almonds and olives. I hate to blow my own horn, but I love my twists on both recipes. My version of the rabbit rocked, and I will share it with you guys shortly, but today I share the Orecchiette recipe.
To be honest, I found the MasterChef recipe a little on the boring side. It just lacked a little zing, and that little something to make it sing. I have a favourite mussel recipe, mussels with saffron, white wine and bacon. It was this recipe that inspired my twist on the original MasterChef orecchiette recipe.
Printable Recipe
Orecchiette, Vongole & Saffron Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 grams Barilla Orecchiette
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 50 grams speck finely sliced
- 2 shallots finely sliced
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 1 kg vongole
- good pinch of saffron threads
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 6 teaspoons lemon juice
- 150 ml thickened cream
- 190 ml ¾ cup reserved vongole stock
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- Salt & pepper to season
Instructions
- You will need a large frying pan or pot with a fitted lid for this recipe
- Bring a saucepan of boiling water to the boil and cook orecchiette until al dente. Drain, cover and set aside. Have another pot of water boiling ready to plunge pasta into before serving to reheat if required.
- Place frying pan/pot over medium heat. Toast saffron for approximately one minute, it will be crisp and fragrant, be careful not to burn. Remove saffron from pan, place in medium size bowl and crush with the back of a spoon.
- Add dijon and lemon juice to the bowl and mix with saffron. Add the thickened cream, mix well and place to the side.
- Heat oil in you pan/pot and gently sauté shallots and speck gently until the onion is soft and the mixture is fragrant. Add your vongole and white wine, give it a good stir and then cover with lid. Cook, giving your pan/pot the odd shake, until vongole have all popped open. Remove from heat and strain vongole over a bowl to reserve the stock.
- Take ¾c of the reserved vongole stock and add it to your saffron cream mixture, add parsley and season to taste. Place vongole back into the pan/pot, add saffron cream mixture and warm. Stir through orecchiette and serve immediately.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
I highly recommend serving this dish with crusty bread rolls. The sauce is addictive and you will want to soak up any remaining on the bottom of your plate, trust me. Alternatively, there is always the good old lick the plate method if you wish to forgo the extra carbs.
Do tell dear Belly Rumbles' reader, do you follow recipes spot on, or do you like to add your own twist?
Sara xxx
Belly Rumbles was provided some of the ingredients by Barilla to create the above recipe.
Iron Chef Shellie
I didn't even know Barilla made orecchiette! ... not that I've ever really looked, but I bought mine from the continental shop the last time. Looks damn good girl!
JJ - 84thand3rd
Oh Sara this sounds wonderful - I adore vongole in pasta! I don't think I've ever in my life followed a recipe to the letter - although some of the the modifications are more dramatic than others!
Jacq
This looks delicious - and good idea with the bread roll to mop up the extra sauce. I know I wouldn't want any of the sauce to go to waste!
Tina @ bitemeshowme
Just beautiful. I adore how you've used such simple flavours to bring out the best of other ingredients. I too would get crusty bread and dip in the remains of the sauce. Be resourceful 😉
Anna @The Littlest Anchovy
I love changing up recipes - it just makes life more interesting!
This dish is something I would order straight away in a restaurant. It has all my favourite things!
Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul
Gorgeous! I'm in love with this recipe Sara! I always add my own twists!
YaYa
So love the colour of the pasta it MUST taste good!
Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse)
Love the texture and flavour of Barilla pasta! Must admit I'm a bit of a klutz when it comes to cooking orecchiette as it's one of those shapes I tend to overcook heh.
GourmetGetaways
Oh this looks so gorgeous Sara, and the sauce in the bottom of the bowl is just tormenting me!!! I want to lick it up!
I always have to put my own twist on a recipe... how exciting that you got the same challenge as the masterchef contestants. My vote goes to your dish 😉
ChopinandMysaucepan
Dear Sara,
I seldom cook with orecchiette but it seems like a good choice with this recipe. Your sauce looks delicious and I crusty bread is definitely a must!
To draw a parallel with classical music, I would prefer to add my own twist to a recipe but it must not deviate too far from the good traditions of how the composer would have liked it played.