Orichette w/ Herb Pistou and Crispy Toasted Okara
Recently, my friends in Vancouver hosted a pasta night, which got me inspired to make something fresh and tasty. Having no pasta maker - and admittedly new to making pasta altogether - I decided to go with orichette.
The Pasta - Orichette
I find it so fascinating how many different types of pasta there are, just in Italy alone - over 400! Each one is made for different reasons, depending on the sauce and the accompanying ingredients. Orichette was my choice given how beginner-friendly the shape is to make: Simply roll with a knife and turn it inside out with your thumb.Orichette means “little ears” in Italian, and has a small cup shape that holds chunkier sauces more easily. I used this recipe for the pasta:
https://www.theburntbuttertable.com/semolina-pasta-dough/ .
However, dried pasta works perfectly fine, and you can always use another type of pasta. Penne would work well with this!
The Sauce - Pistou
For the sauce, I chose a pistou, which is similar to pesto, but without the cheese, so naturally vegan. Lots of punchy herby flavor from garlic, parsley, dill, mint, and scallions. I heat it through with a handful of green peas, pasta water, and fresh mint.
The Star - Toasted Okara
My favorite component of this dish was the toasted okara. My roommate had made some soy milk, and we were left with the leftover pulp. I toasted it in a pan with olive oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, and parsley. I was honestly astonished at how tasty it became. Crunchy, herby, and perfect on top of pasta or rice.
Orichette w/ Herb Pistou & Toasted Okara
Ingredients:
600 grams orecchiette pasta (fresh or dried)
2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)
handful of fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
1 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup fresh dill
1 scallion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil (for pistou)
lemon juice, to taste
toasted okara (see below)
Steps:
Make the herb pistou → Combine the fresh parsley, mint, dill, scallions, lemon juice, and garlic cloves in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil and blend until smooth but still textured. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta → Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook 600 grams of orecchiette pasta until al dente per package instructions. In the final minutes of cooking, add 2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen) directly to the pasta water to blanch them together. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Bring it together → Drain the pasta and peas and return them to the pot off the heat. Add the herb pistou and toss well to coat, loosening with a splash of reserved pasta water as needed. Taste and season.
Plate and garnish → Divide the pasta among bowls. Top each portion with a generous spoonful of toasted okara and a few fresh 0.3 cups fresh mint leaves (for garnish). Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Toasted Okara
3 cups okara (soybean pulp)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste
other optional add-ins: paprika, gochugaru, cumin
Steps:
Dry the Okara →Heat a pan on medium-high heat. Add the okara and cook, stirring frequently, until the okara is dry and starting to brown. You don’t want it to burn, so adjust the heat as needed depending on the water content in your okara.
Add seasoning → Once the mixture is sufficiently dry, add the seasonings and toast for a couple of minutes. Add the olive oil and continue to cook until the mixture is very dry, dark brown, and crunchy. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Cool and store → Remove from heat and allow to cool. The mixture will become crunchier as it settles. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature.
Mahalo & Happy Eating!
