Stir Crazy, Posted: 7/11/07
You canít beat a good egg substitute
I have a habit of choosing a new recipe based on whether the ingredients sound good. So when I set out to make pasta and smoked mozzarella salad, I was surprised to see that the dressing, which was not cooked, contained a raw egg. The note at the bottom of the recipe, which of course I had not read before I started, suggested using pasteurized eggs, which were not available locally. I decided to try Egg-Beaters, which is pasteurized. It worked great for this dressing, and no worries about food poisoning! Since I had some Egg-Beaters left, I used them in pancakes on Sunday and they worked just fine. I didnít have buttermilk for the pancakes, so I used two cups of skim milk soured with two tablespoons of vinegar. Itís handy to know these tricks when you donít want to make a trip to the grocery store!
The recipe calls for 1/2 lb. of prosciutto, but I used one four-ounce package, which I thought was enough, especially since the price of prosciutto is so high! I also cut back on the pepper.
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Pasta and Smoked Mozzarella Salad
Dressing:
1 pasteurized egg or 1/4 cup Egg-Beaters
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
Salad:
1/2 lb. penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 10 oz. bag spinach
1/2 lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced and chopped
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
8 oz. smoked mozzarella, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
greens for garnish
For dressing, whip egg in food processor or by hand. Add oil gradually so that mixture emulsifies. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
For salad, cook pasta until al dente. Refresh under cold water. Drain well and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Wash spinach. Place in skillet and heat until wilted. Refresh under cold water. Squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and fry prosciutto briefly until it frizzles. Combine pasta, spinach, half of prosciutto, peppers, mozzarella and dressing. Serve on greens and sprinkle with remaining prosciutto and parmesan.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
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507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com