I am fascinated with the idea of cooking simple gourmet meals while camping. On the Camp-cook.com forum a member (jeepdad) posted his recipe for Fettuccini with Sweet Peppers and Pine Nuts with Fried Mozzarella Cheese. It looked delicious so I had to make my version of it (see my pictures at the end of this post).
I say “my version” not because his looks bad but because of the ingredients we had on hand and the need to make it gluten free.
The following is his recipe with my changes to it to make it work for us plus those needed to cook it entirely on our camp-chef outdoor oven. Instead of using a dutch oven, I chose to do it in my Lodge cast iron skillet.
I started with the Fried Mozzarella & followed the recipe exactly except for the breading.
Fried Mozzarella Cheese
2 (8-ounce) balls fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained.
Corn Flour
1 large egg, beaten
3 cups crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup olive oil
In three individual bowls, place the flour, beaten egg, and crushed cornflakes.
Slice each ball of mozzarella cheese into four 1/3- to 1/2-inch thick rounds or sticks.
Coat the sliced cheese in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the cornflakes .
In a large frying pan over high heat, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil. Working in batches, fry prepared cheese slices until brown, approximately 2 minutes per side. Transfer fried cheese to individual serving plates.
Mozzarella Dipping Sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, moderate to hot heat level, eyeball the amount (I added a boatload!)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Coarse salt
For dipping sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and crushed pepper flakes. Saute garlic and hot pepper 2 or 3 minutes, and add tomatoes. Season with salt.
Cast Iron Sweet Peppers and Pasta
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked corn pasta
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large sweet yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned
1 large sweet orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned
1/2 cup Cashew nuts (Chopped)
1/2 cup fresh parsley & basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Salt & pepper to taste
Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente; drain and return to pan to keep warm.
In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil. Add garlic and bell peppers (yellow, red & orange), and cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add cashew nuts and cook until they turn golden brown.
Gradually stir in basil or parsley. Add olives and heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a serving bowl, toss the sauce mixture with prepared pasta.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
This was a spectacular meal with many leftovers. I’d call this a keeper!
Here are some pictures.
