Paprika Parsnip Fries
You know how I know it’s fall?
Because it’s October. But ALSO, because I feel like cooking again. Really cooking. Not just chopping up some vegetables, or throwing some grilled meat on top of a salad and calling it dinner. I feel like simmering, braising, roasting. I feel like using lots and lots of spices, and drenching everything in butter. I feel like taking ordinary, humble ingredients and making them into something really special. In summer, there’s not too much that can improve on the gloriousness of a ripe tomato. In fall, we can do some real work. Besides the fact that I can turn on my oven or boil a pot of water without turning my kitchen into a sauna. So that’s helpful.
Don’t get me wrong- these are very little work for the payoff- they’re basically oven fries with a quick dipping sauce. But I love the transformative feel to them- like you’re taking boring old parsnips and making them into some really special and delicious. No offense parsnips. You’re much more exciting than potatoes, even. But a parsnip is a parsnip is a parsnip… unless it’s a smoky, crispy fry. They flavor on these is awesome… bright and rich, and the parsnip sweetens as it roasts. The crema that tops them off it kind of amazing on its own… a hint of garlic, sure, but mostly the preserved lemon shines it’s tangy, tart, citrus-y sunshine all over everything. Pair it with the down-to-earth parsnip fries and you’re in simple side HEAVEN.
So let’s cook of fall cooking season with a bang (and yes, notably, without a pumpkin recipe- don’t hurt me). What are you all cooking as the weather cools down?
Pasta (Almost) Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 3.5 oz can of anchovy filets, chopped
- 1 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp capers
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, but not browned, about 2 minutes. Lower heat as low as it can go and add the anchovies. Break up the anchovies with the back of a wooden spoon, making a sort of paste. Add in the tomatoes, caper, and crushed red pepper. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer again, and let it cook, covered, for about half an hour. Taste again and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- In the mean time, cook and drain your pasta according to the instructions on the package. Spaghetti or thin spaghetti is ideal for this sauce.
- When both the sauce and pasta are cooked, spoon the sauce over the pasta and serve. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley if you like.