Pasta with Minty Hot No Cook Sauce

On Saturday, I caught up on some of my DVRed Food Network shows.  I watched Giada make a super easy sauce that looked interesting (mint + habanero peppers!)  & easy (minimal cooking required), so made it that night. Since all you are doing for this recipe is just boiling some water for pasta, this is really a perfect summer dinner.  I bet it would make great left overs - but there weren't any... next time.

Now, I'm thinking that maybe I dreamed the whole thing because I can't find the link on line, so I'll give you my rendition at the very least of what I believed to have watched Giada make.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2. 2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
3. 2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves
4. 1 jalapeno pepper (or habanero) - halved with seeds & ribs removed (leave the seeds if you want it extra hot!)
5. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
6. salt
7. pepper
8. 1/2 cup freshly grated roman cheese*

Make it!

1. Puree the first seven ingredients together in a food processor or blender & set aside.
2. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
3. Drain pasta & toss immediately with romano cheese (if you only have parmesan - use that too - this extra cheese helps the sauce stick to the pasta. mmm cheese!)
4. Add the minty hot sauce to the pasta, toss & serve.
5. If you're up to throwing another ingredient into the mix add some cut steamed asparagus.

 

Check after the jump to see if this recipe was hubby approved...

Fresh Pasta With No Cook Sauce

Chris & I made the rounds visiting some of our family for Memorial Day Weekend. On Monday, we hung around home base & visited with my aunt, cousins, sister and friends. My generous aunts gifted me my Kitchen Aid Mixer for my bridal shower - I'm not sure how I got on with cooking, baking or life with out it.  To top it off my Aunt Theresa (one of our guests of honor) gifted me the amazing pasta attachment so I felt it was necessary to whip some fresh pasta up in her honor.

I opted for this no cook sauce that I saw the Barefoot Contessa make (as I jogged along on the treadmill, drooling all the while. A complete mind/body work out if you ask me).  It takes minutes to prep but tastes better with time so plan ahead & make it in the morning.  Then just add pasta & tons of Parmesan cheese for dinner.

As always I think you can amp up the garlic & cheese for this dish (& any for the matter).  Just remember that as soon as you drain your pasta, add the sauce right away so that it doesn't get super stuck together.  Don't be shy to add some olive oil if need be.

I'll be making this again soon especially since my husband categorized it as "unfair good" - so he really liked it!

Oh & one more thing, if you're banking on left overs you should just go ahead & triple the recipe - it's that good.

Click through for some fresh photos!