Mustard Rabbit with Prosciutto Asparagus Pasta

Finally a recipe for you - I apologize for the phone-quality photos, but there wouldn't be any at all if it weren't for my gracious French-German hosts who put me up in their apartment in Paris last month. This dish is easy, delicious, and can accommodate other spring veggies if you don't like asparagus. If you omit the prosciutto, add something salty like olives or anchovies. The rabbit part of this recipe is based on this brilliant Simply Recipes concoction.

You'll need:

1 rabbit, cut into 6 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you) - reserve the head, ribs, and kidneys
kosher salt
4T butter
4 large shallots, sliced
1c white wine
1 1/2c water
3/4c grainy mustard
1t dried thyme
1/2c cream
4T chopped parsley
1 package fusilli
5 slices prosciutto
1 bunch asparagus

Put rabbit head and ribs in 1c water; bring to a boil, skim, then simmer gently until liquid is reduced to 1c (you can forget about this pot while you're cooking -- it'll be ready by the time you need it).

Salt rabbit pieces. Remove thin membrane from kidneys; salt the kidneys too. Let the rabbit pieces sit 30 min.

Cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 deg. oven for 20 minutes, until slightly browned.

Slice prosciutto into strips. Set aside with asparagus.

When the rabbit is done resting, heat the butter. Brown the rabbit pieces on all sides in batches. Remove rabbit.

Add shallot to the butter and brown well. Deglaze with wine.

Strain the rabbit stock and add it to the pan, along with the mustard and thyme. Bring to a boil, then add the dark meat and kidneys of the rabbit and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, then add the white meat. Simmer 20 more minutes.

Remove rabbit from sauce. Turn heat to high and reduce sauce by half.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in copiously salted water.

When sauce is reduced, add the cream and parsley. Stir in the pasta, the rabbit pieces, and the prosciutto and asparagus. Serve.

Check out that gorgeous cookware!

Rustic Carbonara

In this recipe, I was aiming for a heartier version of spaghetti carbonara (in the hearty vs delicate scale). I used whole wheat pasta and thick-cut prosciutto instead of the more traditional guiancale, and I added lots of fresh peas for some color and texture (and vegetable content). I really liked the result: the sauce turned out creamy and the dish overall somehow didn't feel too heavy or rich. It's also really easy to pull together-- the whole thing took about 20 minutes.

Whenever I make carbonara, I think of Katie, who makes it a lot. I made this while listening to her mix made on Char and Ryan's awesome interface, Flotate. Check it out.

You'll need (serves 2):

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti

2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks

1 slab thick-cut (1/4-1/2 inch) prosciutto

1T fresh rosemary, minced

1c grated parmesan and/or parmesan-like cheeses, plus more for serving

1lb fresh English peas, shelled (about 3/4c peas)

lots of freshly ground black pepper

chopped parsley for garnish

Start the pasta water; by the time the pasta's done, the sauce will be ready. 3 minutes before pasta is done, add peas to cook too.

Cut the prosciutto into small cubes and saute (dry, no oil) over medium-high heat in a cast iron or heavy skillet until toasty and aromatic.

While the prosciutto cooks, beat eggs with cheese, rosemary, and pepper in a large bowl.

When pasta is al dente, reserve 1c pasta water and drain noodles. Slowly beat in 1/4c pasta water until eggs turn creamy (use more if you need). Add proscuitto, pasta and peas, and toss to coat.

Serve, sprinkled with parsley, with more cheese on the side.

Prosciutto Butter

This is a super easy hors d'oeuvre to make when you have surprise guests. All you need is a few slices of prosciutto-- the cheap stuff is fine-- a tablespoon of buttter, some black pepper, and a food processor. I'll let you figure out the rest.