FOOD PHYTE: Tonight’s Dinner Is Brought To You By The Number Five

‘FIVE INGREDIENT FIX’ FOR A QUICK TASTY MEAL

— In keeping with the Life section’s theme for today, we wanted to offer a recipe for you to try that only uses five ingredients. There’s actually a show on the Food Network called “Five Ingredient Fix,” on which host Claire Robinson cooks up dishes using - yep - five ingredients or fewer (not counting salt and pepper; they’re exempt from the tally).

So here’s a simple, flavorful recipe that comes together quickly using only a handful of items. (And, just to save you some footwork: I found fresh turkey breast cutlets at Walmart- NOT the multiple specialty food stores that I tromped around to first...)

Whole-Wheat Penne With Turkey And Asparagus

1 1/2 pounds turkey breast scallopini cutlets

1/4 cup garlic-flavored olive oil, plus more as needed

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar, plus more as needed

12 ounces whole-wheat, wholegrain penne

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the turkey cutlets in a glass bowl and add the garlic-flavored olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss to coat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Preheat a grill-pan over medium-high heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat and add a generous amount of salt.

Remove the turkey from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid, and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with oil to keep it from sticking and season well with salt and pepper. Grill the cutlets, turning once, until the turkey is cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and chop intobite-sized pieces.

Boil the pasta according to the package instructions, adding the asparagus in the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Carefully remove about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and reserve, then drain the pasta. Add some garlic oil to the bottom of the pot and return the pasta to the pot, off the heat. Add the turkey and any juices released to the cookedpasta and toss to combine.

Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with additional olive oil and vinegar if desired. Add the pasta cooking water, a tablespoon at a time, and toss until the pasta is evenly moistened. Serve warm, room temperature or coldright out of the refrigerator.

- RECIPE FROM CLAIRE ROBINSON, “FIVE INGREDIENT FIX” FOODPHYTE IS A COLUMN FOLLOWING A 20-SOMETHING’S GROWTH IN UNDERSTANDING FOOD AND COOKING. IT WILL RUN OCCASIONALLY IN THE LIFE SECTION.

Life, Pages 7 on 10/27/2010

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