I wipe my eyes and stare at the LCD clock radio by the side table and it reads 1 am.
"You must be kidding, right? Really? Really? It's 1 am and you want me to fix you something? There's left over in the fridge..." I mumble.
A few seconds after, I hear familiar voices screaming "SURPRISE!!!"
It was Heather my eldest from the Bay Area. The other voice was from my good friend Kelly, who picked her up at the airport. I rub my eyes, trying to figure out if I was dreaming... but the more I realize that it's for real, my jaw drops and tears start to fall.
I love surprises... who doesn't? However, I'm usually the one who stages them. I thought no one could plan a birthday surprise for me, but I cannot fathom the fact that my family actually did one this year... and my daughter's arrival was just the start of what seemed to be a series of birthday surprises.
And so today when I asked my hubs what he wants for dinner. His reply was "I want pasta...". "Creamy white sauce or tomato based?", I asked.
"...so surprise me", he said. Hmmm, I guess I'm not the only one who loves surprises. I'm sure your family loves surprises too. Let me share my special pasta recipe, and you could use it to pull a surprise on your family. Yes, life is sweet, life is indeed full of surprises.
Pasta Aligue with Crispy Adobo Flakes
(serves 2)
250 grams spaghetti noodles cooked (follow package instruction)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp crab roe
2 tbsp flour
1 cup (or add as needed) shrimp stock (Boil the shrimp heads, crush the head or use an Osterizer, then drain)
1 medium tomato, diced
1/4 c black olives, pitted and sliced
lime/lemon zests
pepper and salt
Adobo left-overs (for adobo recipe click here)
Procedure:
For the sauce:
In a pan, saute garlic and onions with olive oil. Add crab roe, stir for about a minute then add flour. Whisk it all together until the mixture is blended and smooth. Slowly pour the shrimp stock. Stir and make sure to remove all the bits and pieces from the pan. Continue stirring until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. (You could add more broth if you prefer a thinner sauce and strain if needed). Add tomatoes and black olives. Season with salt and pepper.
Now let's work on the adobo flakes:
Flake the adobo left over. In a pan, drizzle athcuete oil and add the adobo flakes. Toast until crispy. Sprinkle a generous amount on top of the pasta.
Sprinkle some sliced chives and add some lime zests on the pasta.
Enjoy!
What a great surprise for your birthday! :)
ReplyDeleteThis pasta looks amazing, I'm sure your husband like this surprise also :D
oh my looks so good NFF! I have to go there to your house and cook for me (or us) sometimes! hehehe! :-)
ReplyDeletelooks good malou. i just cooked my beef pasta as requested by my kids. got some adobo left over from lunch today...will try your recipe perhaps tomorrow afternoon. thanks my kitchen buddy even if we're oceans apart hehehe
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Malou! What a wonderful surprise from your family. I felt your happiness come through your description of the event in the post. You're so blessed! And THANK YOU for this great recipe. I've been searching for the right recipe for Pasta Aligue and I think I just found it here. I've been asking others who've made it but so far you are the only one who's GENEROUSLY shared it with her readers. Thanks again. I must try this soon ~ have to go buy some crab roe now. I better start a file on my device entitled "Malou's recipes". All the best and may you have many more birthdays to come!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!!! That was so nice of your daughter to surprise you like that. This pasta looks absolutely delish, especially with the olive and adobo flakes.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! What a fun surprise, good thing you aren't one of those people who are cranky in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThe pasta looks fantastic. Which reminds me..I want to make some pasta soon!