A grape twist on pasta
Grapes are something you usually eat one-at-a-time from a clump from the vine. They're great little snacks...neatly wrapped in their own edible packages and easy to bring with you when you hit the road.
I never gave much thought to cooked grapes. After all, I like them crisp and cold.
But at at a recent function I had a pasta dish that included mushrooms and grapes. I poked at it at first. It seemed like someone had been unsure what to make for the vegetarian meal reqest among the steaks and pork loins.
Grapes grow in clusters of 6 to 300, and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green and pink. "White" grapes are actually green in color, and are evolutionarily derived from the purple grape.
Grape phytochemicals such as resveratrol have been linked to inhibiting cancer, heart disease, degenerative nerve disease, viral infections and mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease.
On top of which, they are sweet and juicy.
Put these grapes together with some things you might not expect and you'll love this.
Pasta with Mushrooms and Grapes
2 pounds of spaghetti 2 to 8 cloves of garlic
1 half of a lemon
16 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
A handful grapes, cut in half
- In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. When boiling, add a generous amount of salt and add the spaghetti. Stir and cook until al dente.
- In the meantime, heat some olive oil in a sauté pan. When hot, add the mushrooms and the garlic. Stir and cook the mushrooms until they're tender, then add the paprika and the mustard.
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan, making sure to combine everything well.
- Add some pasta water and more olive oil if the pasta seems too dry.
- Add sliced grapes and tomatoes, squeeze the half lemon, and adjust seasoning to taste.
