During the third week of February, I decreed that I would be doing a Cookbook of the Week. Well that was three weeks ago…
So much for best laid plans.
I did post up a new cookbook, The Blue Zones Kitchen Cookbook , recently. But, since that was a new cookbook (for review), I’m not sure that really counts.
As I stated in my post, I was starting a catalog of all of my cookbooks. I took one Saturday to start the project. I have a few more piles that haven’t been cataloged, but I soon realized that I was the proud owner of over twenty-five Junior League cookbooks.
I started collecting them in my twenties after mom bought one from Iowa. I loved the menus and the entertaining slant to each of them. From then on, I would try to pick up a Junior League cookbook in whatever city we were in.
I picked up Saint Louis Day, Saint Louis Nights when I had to be the accompanying administrator on a band trip. 🙁
At least I got this cookbook out of the deal. 🙂
As I was going through my cookbook stacks, I noticed that I had a flag in Saint Louis Day, Saint Louis Nights for “Artichoke Prosciutto Linguine.” This recipe sounded like the perfect dish for a Saturday night dinner.
Artichoke Prosciutto Linguine
This is a delicious pasta that comes together pretty quickly (especially if you pre-saute the mushrooms).
Ingredients
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T. butter
- 2 t. flour
- 1 c. chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T. white wine vinegar
- 1/2 c. chopped Italian parsley
- 1 (15 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 oz. proscuitto, sliced thin
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 c. white wine
- 1 lb. linguine
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute until soft.
- Remove from pan, leaving as much of the mushroom drippings as you can, melt 1 T. butter. Add flour, whisking constantly until bubbly (about 1 minute).
- Add chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice and parsley. Stir over medium heat, for about 5 minutes.
- Add artichoke hearts, Parmesan, prosciutto and sauted mushrooms. Cover and cook over low heat 5-7 minutes.
- While sauce is cooking, prepare linguine. Cook according to directions. Drain, reserving a bit of the pasta water. Add a bit of the pasta water to sauce if desired. Toss sauce and linguine together. Season with salt and pepper and top with a bit more Parmesan before serving, if desired.
Yield: 4
I adapted the recipe a bit by using the same pan to saute the mushrooms and reworking the instructions a bit. I also increased the amount of mushrooms and switched out lemon juice for white wine vinegar. I also added white wine.
This recipe may turn out to be one of our favorites. The sauce is light and the dish is better the second day as leftovers. I think it would even be good with more veggies (like sweet peas) and maybe capers, leaving out the proscuitto.
Stay tuned for more Cookbooks of the Week. I am sure that there will be more Junior League cookbooks in the mix. 
I will probably cheat a bit and update previous posts from cookbooks I still have in my possession.
As I was perusing through my older cookbook review posts, I found another recipe from Saint Louis Days, Saint Louis Nights: Dilly Potato Salad. 
P.S. I finished my book list last weekend. To date, I have in my collection over 129 cookbooks (29 of those being Junior League books).
If you would like to see my growing collection (because I know I do not have enough resolve to refuse cookbook reviews and bargains at antique stores), please see the newest pages on this blog.
I’m linking up with Foodies Read and Novel Food #38 today.
