Rigatoni with Caper and Almond "Pesto"

I know, I know. Another pasta recipe from On Top of Spaghetti. But they are all just so simple and fun to make that I can't help myself. For the Rigatoni with Caper and Almond "Pesto" I didn't even have to cut anything up. Just throw a bunch of things in the blender to make the pesto while the water was boiling for the pasta. Perfect for a Friday night after a long work week.

Even though the recipe is very simple, I somehow messed it all up. The first problem was that I had a hard time finding the capers. This recipe calls for salted capers and I could only find regular capers. I soaked them anyways.

Then, I screwed up and only added 1/4 cup of capers instead of 3/4 cups as the recipe calls for. Of course I didn't even notice that until now. Proof I'm at that point where I need to get glasses.

My mint leaves were very tiny and I was not sure what size mint leaves are supposed to be. So even thought the recipe calls for 6 to 8, I'm not sure I added the correct amount. I would have liked more mint in the pesto. Especially since I chose mint to be my herb of choice for Weekend Herb Blogging.

Look for the roundup of Weekend Herb Blogging at Anna's Cool Finds who is hosting this week.

But even with my screw ups I am happy I tried this recipe. Many people probably won't try this it because it has anchovies in it. On top of that it has capers which many people also don't like. I didn't even taste any anchovies. They got pureed and mixed in with all sorts of flavors.

While I'm glad I made this recipe I probably will not make it again. Only because I am not a big fan of any kind of pesto. I prefer a tomato or cheese based sauce with my pasta. But that's why I like this book so much, it gives me ideas to change it up now and then.

Rigatoni with Caper and Almond "Pesto" (serves 4 to 6) Ingredients: 1/4 salted capers, soaked for 15 to 20 minutes in cold water 6 anchovy fillets 1 1/2 ounces (1 cup) ground blanched almonds 2 tablespoons fin unflavored bread crumbs 1 plump garlic clove, peeled and trimmed 6 to 8 large fresh mint leaves 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 pound dried rigatoni

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Drain the capers and dry on paper towels.

Combine all the ingredients except the pasta in a blender jar. Blend until you obtain a chunky puree. Set aside. (You may cover and refrigerate the pesto for a day or two. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before you cook the rigatoni.)

Salt the boiling water and drop in the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the rigatoni reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a heated serving bowl. Toss with enough pesto to coat the rigatoni. Add a little pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, if the sauce seem too thick. Server right away, passing any remaining sauce at the table.

Potatoes, Chicken and Carrots . . . Oh, My!

I admit it. I ate dog food for dinner. It's not what you are thinking. I didn't open up a can of Pedigree and dig in. Each month Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine has a pet-friendly feature. This month the recipe was for an Orange Bowl. It is basically a stew with chicken, sweet potatoes and carrots.

When I got home from work I wasn't hungry so I didn't rush to make myself dinner. I had the chicken in the fridge and new I needed to use it up so I took a few minutes to cut everything up and put it in the pot. The dogs were starving once I got it done but they had to wait even longer so that it would cool enough for them to be able to eat. I did put it down for them after about twenty minutes but it was still kind of hot. They ate off the first layer but then it got amusing. They'd dip in to pick out a carrot or sweet potato and then drop it on the floor to cool and then sit patiently next to their bowl looking at the food before they tried that again.


This smelled so good because I love both cooked carrots. I just sucked into my computer and when I realized that I was finally hungry it was late. The big pot was just sitting there. So I made myself a bowl. It was pretty good! I just sprinkled on some salt.

Check out the round-up of Weekend Dog Blogging hosted each week by Sweetnicks.

Potted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Chicken (4 Servings) Ingredients: One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth 4 peppercorns 2 whole cloves 1 fresh or dried bay leaf Three 6-ounce chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 3 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks One 16-ounce bag baby carrots Salt

Instructions:
Combine the broth, cider, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the chicken and vegetables, and simmer, skimming if necessary, until tender, about 20 minutes. Spoon out the peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf and discard. Season to taste with salt. Let the dish cool slightly before serving to pets.

Doggie Burgers (and birdie burgers too)

My guys got a treat yesterday. I made them Isaboo's Bacon-Cheese-Barley Burgers from the December/January issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

These are pretty easy to make. And what I like about them is that even though they take about 30 minutes to complete, you can do other things most of the time. It takes about 20 minutes for the barley to cook. The ingredients are really healthy: barley, chicken stock, cheese, and a little bit of bacon. The only problem I had was that they fell apart a bit while I was cooking them.

I kept telling my dogs that they were getting special treats and Charlie Bird got jealous. He wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It's so healthy so I gave him some too. Cheese is one of his favorites but he really liked the barley too.


This recipe make four patties. I gave my two dogs one each and brought the other two over to my friend's house for her two dogs. All four of them snarfed it down and were very happy.

Isaboo's Bacon-Cheese-Barley Burgers 1/2 cup pearl barley 2 cups fat-free chicken broth 2 slices lean bacon 1 large egg 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring the barley and chicken broth to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.

While the barley is cooking, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Reserve the fat from the bacon for cooking the burgers. Finely chop the bacon and add to the cooled barley. Mix in the egg, bread crumbs and cheese. Combine thoroughly and score into 4 equal pieces. Wet your hands and form the pieces into patties.

Reheat the bacon fat and cook the burgers over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.


Check out the round-up of Weekend Dog Blogging hosted each week by Sweetnicks.