Nikki Dinki with Bobby Deen
So many doors have opened for me as I have written The Permanent Tourist over the past two years! But I have to say that one of the most exciting opportunities is being contacted by the publicist of a budding new star on the Food Network’s Cooking Channel to write about her, the new show she co-hosts with Bobby Deen and the time she spent filming here on St. Simons Island last February. I got to speak with Nikki Dinki about her career and her flair for incorporating vegetables in unexpected ways so that anyone can love them! It’s all about thinking outside of the box, enhancing vegetables with sauces and butter, yes butter, in ways you may never have considered. The show made its premiere appearance on the Food Network June 2nd and offers a blind taste test of foods we might consider junk food and how Nikki and Bobbi create a healthier version. You’ll find participants, blind taste testers, choosing the healthier version, much to their surprise, when they learn which dish is which! So without further ado, here is a delicious recipe Nikki kindly sent for me to share with my readers! It’s easy and perfect for weekend entertaining, especially since it features shrimp and we all know how tasty our sweet Georgia shrimp is!
Brown Butter + Lemon Rigatoni with Cauliflower Breadcrumbs
Serves 4
½ head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup loosely packed parsley
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 ½ ounces parmesan cheese, shredded
1 pound rigatoni
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
2 lemons zested + the juice of 1 lemon
1 pound large shrimp, peeled + deveined
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat for cooking the pasta and preheat the oven to
400°F. While they are heating, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until finely chopped.
Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet, toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ½ teaspoon
of the salt and bake until brown – about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
2. Turn the oven heat up to 450°F. Add the parsley, parmesan and panko to the bowl of the
food processor. Toss in the browned cauliflower and pulse until everything is finely ground.
Transfer the mixture back onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes more, stirring
every 2 minutes until breadcrumbs are crispy and brown. Set aside while preparing the pasta.
3. Cook the pasta in the now boiling water until al dente according to the package directions.
Once it is finished cooking, drain the pasta and return to the pot. While the pasta is cooking,
make the brown butter lemon sauce.
4. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and cook it until browned – about 5
minutes. Turn heat off and let the butter cool for 5 minutes; then add the cream, lemon juice
and zest, parsley and 1 teaspoon of the salt and stir until combined. Add the sauce to the
pasta and toss together until well combined; leave over low heat while you make prepare the
shrimp.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the
shrimp with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper in a medium bowl; then
add to the skillet and sauté until pink and slightly charred, turning once – about 4 minutes
total.
6. Serve immediately, dividing the pasta among 4 dinner plates and topping each portion with
one-quarter of the shrimp and scatter the cauliflower breadcrumbs evenly over the tops.
Look for Nikki’s cookbook in 2016. Published by St. Martin’s Press, this book will guide you on your way to creative cooking! I cannot wait to get a copy! One more to add to my ever growing cookbook collection! Get to know Nikki better here: www.nikkidinkicooking.com, you’ll find more yummy ideas and recipes!
AND, before I end! When Nikki and Bobby were here on St. Simons Island they filmed a segment with one of all of our favorite local restaurants, Southern Soul BBQ. If you’re a fan of the restaurant I know you’ve tried the Drunken Cubano sandwich made so famous there. The show airs this coming Tuesday, June 16th at 9:00 pm on the Food Network’s Cooking Channel. You’ll get to see how Nikki and Bobby added a healthy touch to this classic favorite and see how participants responded! Talking with Nikki was delightful and I know you’ll enjoy the show when you tune in! Another fabulous offering from Food Network’s Cooking Channel to program into my smart tv for regular taping! For more on Junk Food Flip go here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/junk-food-flip/bobby-deen-nikki-dinki-junk-food-flip-face-off.html
2 Responses
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Marisa Franca @ All Our Way Says:
We are having a new love affair with browned butter — all the way from desserts to main dishes. What a flavor enhancement!! The lemon rigatoni looks wonderful and better part yet?? We have a pasta machine that does make our homemade rigatoni. I am putting June 16, 9:00 pm on my calendar. Thank you for the heads up. Hope you have a great weekend!!
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Melissa Says:
I have a pasta machine that makes rigatoni as well. Marisa, would you share your recipe for making a good pasta with me? I feel mine are always a bit heavy!
