Saltimbocca with Baby Pasta Primavera

Taste: ***
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Moderate

When I found the Shells with Spinach & Ricotta recipe, I also spotted this recipe and decided to make it last night.

At first bite, I thought the meal was too salty. But the salty pork paired with the pasta primavera – sweetened by the peas, carrots, and touch of sugar – was a great combination! Next time, I may skip salting the pork or at least use salt more moderately.

Be sure to use a meat mallet. It will be easier to wrap the proscuitto and will decrease the cooking time.

For the Baby Pasta Primavera, I used orzo because that it what I had in the pantry and it worked well.

One note on Rachael Ray’s 30 minute recipes. I often find she uses several pots and pans which might allow the meal to prepared in 30 minutes but leads to a longer cleanup than I like. This recipe fell into that trap – 2 skillets, 1 large pot, 1 colander, and a cutting board.

But, overall a very tasty meal to close out the week!

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Saltimbocca with Baby Pasta Primavera
Every Day with Rachael Ray, May 2009

* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts chopped separately
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
* 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into twelve 3/4-inch-thick slices
* 12 fresh sage leaves
* 6 slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)
* Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain through a fine-mesh strainer and return to the pot.

2. While the pasta is working, in a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the carrots and sugar; season with salt. Partially cover the pan; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites, season with pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens and peas and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable mixture and cheese to the pasta and tos.

3. On a work surface, pound the pork slices thin; season both sides with salt and pepper. Top each pork slice with a sage leaf and wrap a prosciutto piece around each. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO and the garlic over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, add the pork and cook until brown, 2 minutes on each side, transferring the cooked meat to a platter.

4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet; cook until brown, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, then pour the pan sauce over the pork. Serve with the pasta.

Serves 4.



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