Savor summer vegetables with tagliatelle and ricotta salad

Chef Justin Smillie shares two recipes that make the most of the season’s best veggies

Video: Dinner tonight: Tagliatelle with summer vegetables

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>>> perfect for hot weather . executive chef right here in new york city . a mouthful, so is this dish you're making. why is it such a great dish, so much in the way of fresh vegetables.

>> fresh vegetables, super light, great for vegetables.

>> you could probably substitute whatever you have coming out that looks good.

>> that's the great thing about this. whatever comes out of the garden, super delicious and super fresh .

>> start off with you like fresh pasta . what type.

>> this is sem li na . no egg. for the summer months keep it lighter.

>> if you can't get fresh, still okay to use it.

>> difference in cooking times.

>> three times as much.

>> three times as much for the box. let's get started.

>> drop the pasta into the water.

>> how much water do you really need when you're boiling pasta .

>> you want to give the pasta enough room to swim.

>> hey, it's doing the backstroke.

>> you like separately to kind of pan roast your vegetables.

>> that way all the vegetables maintain their own integrity. distinguishing all flavors.

>> what are you starting off with here?

>> onion, micro plain garlic.

>> nice. cook that down for how long?

>> thirty seconds. spet until the aroma is present.

>> i'm sweating now.

>> cherry tomatoes.

>> just want to break them down. a nice acidity for the pasta .

>> separately.

>> eggplant.

>> so sweet.

>> what else would you do? what else kind of convenient table?

>> in the fall, you could use cauliflower, winter squashes. in the spring, peas and fava beans we just finished with. you know.

>> how long is this going to cook for.

>> about two minutes.

>> once we got that going. we're just about there.

>> add a little bit of pasta water.

>> a little bit --

>> create the liaison, a little body.

>> even though you're italian, speak french.

>> you know, we all have our roots somewhere.

>> i like that. okay. once you're done, pull this out.

>> just about there. a splash.

>> so you're adding it into this.

>> right into the sauce. like one of the tricks with making really good pasta getting a liaison, the quicker the bubbles, the strong eer emulsify emulsificati emulsification.

>> natalie and tamron.

>> fantastic.

>> a little butter and olive oil .

>> fresh herb.

>> a little basil, oregano, parsley, pepper.

>> a little something back here in the back.

>> come on over.

>> back here.

>> wow.

>> come on back, chef.

>> what is this over here.

>> this is house made ricotta with beans, pecan pest, a, parsley.

>> nice.

>> in house cure you're on meat.

>> thank you so much.

>> thank you so much for having me.

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 6/18/2012 2:16:54 PM ET

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Looking for something new to make with the season’s vegetables? Try these two delicious dishes from chef Justin Smillie.

Recipe: Tagliatelle with summer vegetable ragu (on this page) Recipe: Ricotta salad with pole beans and pecan pesto (on this page)

Recipe: Tagliatelle with summer vegetable ragu

Justin Smillie

Ingredients

3 pounds summer squash (small dice)
2 pounds eggplant (small dice)
2 pounds cherry tomatoes (1/2ved)
2 pieces small red onions (small dice)
4 pieces spring garlic (thinly sliced)
1/8 cup thinly sliced oregano
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, thinly julienned
8 leaves basil
Light buttery olive oil
Salt & pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
4 ounces fresh tagliatelle

Preparation

Dice the summer squash, eggplant and onions into a small dice. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Thinly slice spring garlic, oregano, and parsley. Tear the basil. In a large cast iron skillet, individually pan-roast each vegetable separately on medium heat, starting with the squash, followed by the eggplant, followed by the onions, and then finish with the garlic.

Off heat, mix the vegetables. Fold in the tomatoes and herbs. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. In salted boiling water, cook the fresh pasta for 2 minutes. Toss cooked pasta with heated ragu, 1 tablespoon parmigiano, and 2 tablespoons olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper.

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Recipe: Ricotta salad with pole beans and pecan pesto

Justin Smillie

Ingredients

1 cup shaved pole beans
2 pieces red ball radish
5 spearmint leaves
1 lemon
To taste, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup pecans
15 pieces shisho leaves
1/8 cup oregano
1 piece garlic
To bind, olive oil
To taste, salt, black pepper
To taste, red wine vinegar

Preparation

For the pesto, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast pecans lightly, approximately five minutes, or until nutty aroma present. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic to a paste with a little salt. Smash the oregano into the paste. Stir in the shisho. Lightly crush the pecans. Stir in the oilve oil until you have the consistency of a loose nut paste. Season with the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper.

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