Wasabi Noodles with Grapefruit

I know that you’re thinking:
1) another pink meal?
2) grapefruit and … wasabi?

Since this is my blog, I’ve got the home court advantage and intend nip your skepticism before it even begins to pretend to bud.

So, 1) Yes, pink. Isn’t pink was new black? And even if it isn’t who’s eating black food anyway? Pink is the color of Love and “in the pink” means healthy so it’s the perfect color for a refreshing spring meal in the season of twitterpation and rejuvenation.

And then 2). Why yes, grapefruit and wasabi: tart and juicy and sweet and spicy. Check out this tasty-looking Spicy Grapefruit Coleslaw from SusanV of FatFree Vegan if you don’t believe me but really! - the wasabi and almond butter combine in a complex and unctuous sauce that makes this dish a jaunty country cousin of the traditional Pad Thai. The crisp green beans and succulent pink grapefruit segments counterpoint the rich noodles, creating a dish full of love and health.

Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Wasabi Noodles with Grapefruit

4 servings of thick Asian-style noodles, fettuccini, or linguine. I used whole wheat linguine
4 handfuls of green beans, ends snapped, cut into 2″ pieces
2 grapefruits, supremed*
16oz block of extra firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 tsp wasabi paste, more or less to your taste
2 - 3 Tbsp almond butter
reserved grapefruit juice
salt to taste

sesame oil
black sesame seeds
fresh basil or mint, chiffonaded (is that a word?)

Put a big pot of water of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare your green beans, grapefruit* and tofu.

*When supreming a grapefruit work over a large bowl to catch any juice. Before you discard any part of the grapefruit (tops/bottoms, rinds, membranes) SQEEZE OUT ANY EXTRA JUICE.
Ok, to begin: slice off the top and bottom 1/2″ of the grapefruit (the Antarctica and the North Pole latitudes.) Then, placing the grapefruit on it’s side so where Antarctica used to be is facing you, make a slice between the white pith and pink flesh of the grapefruit, cutting to the left and turning the grapefruit counterclockwise. Keep your knife between the pink flesh and the pith so that the peel comes off in one big piece. Then trim away any remaining white stuff.
Now: starting with one section of the grapefruit, take a pairing knife and make an incision on the right side of a section between the fruit and the membrane. Then slice between the left side of that section and the left membrane, lifting the de-membraned grapefruit section out and setting it aside. Like turning pages in a book, do the same with the next section to the left - detach and remove each grapefruit section until you have only an empty globe of membranes left. Squeeze out the juice and discard the membranes.

OK, all that is really easier than all that sounds.

To make the sauce: heat the almond butter, wasabi, and reserved grapefruit juice in a saucepan over low heat until combined. Taste and adjust for salt. If the sauce is too thin to coat noodles, cook it down a little more. If the sauce is too dry add some hot water or water from the boiling pasta to thin it out a bit.

Add the noodles to the boiling water. When they have 3 minutes left to cook (or in a separate pan) blanch the green beans for a minute or two and take them out with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water to stop the cooking process. When the pasta is done, drain well.

Return the pasta to the pan, add the tofu and toss with the sauce to coat. Mix with the green beans and grapefruit segments.

To serve, plate the pasta on individual dinner plates and drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and chiffonade of basil or mint if desired.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 9:53 pm and is filed under Pasta, Pizzas, & Grains, Stovetop & Skillet, Summer, Spring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.