Fresh Red Chile Paste

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This tasty paste is easy to prepare and adds a fresh flavor to any dish. You can cook this up in large batches and freeze it for use all year long.

Ingredients

Red New Mexican Chiles, Garlic, Salt

Instructions

This easy to prepare, tasty paste provides a fresh flavor to any dish you make. You can also cook this up in large batches and freeze it for use all year long. The paste is very versatile and can be used as a base for enchilada sauces or chili con carne, or as an ingredient in marinades or pasta sauces. It will keep for a week in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it in plastic ice cube trays.

  • 12 fresh red New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients in a blender or processor with just enough water to blend. Puree until smooth, adding water if necessary; the paste should be thick.

Strain to remove any fibers from the paste.

Variation: Add more liquid and make a sauce.

Yield: 3/4 to 1 cup

Heat Scale: Medium

Green Chile Pesto

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This Southwestern adaptation of the Italian specialty uses green chile and spinach in place of the traditional basil in the pesto. It has a very concentrated flavor—as do all pestos, so a little bit goes a long way. This pasta topper is also good on grilled meats or fish, burgers, and sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups chopped fresh spinach

  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

  • 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

  • 1/4 to ½ cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the spinach, cilantro, and basil in a food processor or blender and pulse to finely chop. Add the chiles, garlic, pinons, lime juice and continue to pulse. With the machine running, slowly add just enough of the oil to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Fresh Herb Pasta

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I first sampled the easy way that Italians cook their pasta when I was fortunate enough to house sit for friends in Florence, Italy. When they would prepare a simple dinner, they would pick some herbs, dice a fresh tomato, combine them with some olive oil and butter. Sometimes they would heat the mixture and sometimes not, and toss it with pasta. Since I’m addicted to chile, I always add it to their basic recipe. In fact it, this is so easy to prepare it can hardly be called a recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped assorted fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro, chives, marjoram, oregano, parsley, summer savory, tarragon, and thyme

  • 2 shallots, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

  • 1 tablespoon crushed red chile

  • Salt

  • 2 tomatoes, finely diced

  • Freshly grated Romano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

Combine the herbs, shallots, olive oil, butter, chile, and a little salt in a serving bowl and mix well.

Cook the pasta until done and drain. Add the pasta to the bowl, toss to coat. Top with the tomatoes and grated cheese and serve.

Salsa di Pomadoro Crudo (Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce)

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This is a very basic sauce that can be easily changed to create a variety of different pasta dishes. For example, substitute feta cheese for the mozzarella, oregano for the basil, add some kalamata olives and chopped capers and you have Greek pasta. This dish can be served hot or at room temperature making it great for summer entertaining.

Ingredients

  • 4 tomatoes, chopped

  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil

  • 2 to 3 jalapeño or serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced

  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 6 oz. fresh mozzarella, asiago, or ricotta cheese, diced small

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Chopped walnuts for garnish

Instructions

Combine the tomatoes, basil, chiles, onion, and garlic in a large serving bowl. Stir in the cheese, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce stand for 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Cook the pasta until the done and drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with the walnuts and serve.

Sun Dried Tomato and Chipotle Pesto

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Ancho or pasilla chiles can be substituted for the fiery chipotles if you desire a milder sauce. I’ve even used this pesto on pizza in place of the more traditional tomato sauce for a hot, south of the border taste.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained reserving the oil

  • 3/4 cup fresh parsley

  • ½ cup pine nuts

  • 2 shallots, coarsely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, rinsed

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh preferred

  • Olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Garnish: Sliced black olives

Sun Dried Tomatoes, Parsley, Pine Nuts, Shallots, Vinegar, Chipotle Peppers, Lemon Juice

Instructions

Put the parsley and tomatoes in a food processor or blender and pulse to finely chop. Add the pine nuts, shallots, garlic, vinegar, chipoltes, and lemon juice and continue to pulse.

Measure the reserved oil and add olive oil to make 1/4 cup. With the machine running, slowly add just enough of the oil to make a smooth sauce. If the pesto is too dry, add a little more oil and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta until done. Reserve a 1/4 cup of the cooking water and add to the pesto to thin the sauce and make it more creamy.

Put the pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the pesto and toss to coat. Garnish with the olives and serve.