Round 2, Challenge 10 Chelsea La Valle
The dish I prepared was Fettuccine Arugula Pesto with Polpettini and Bruschetta. I chose this dish because I was excited to transform the ingredients into an Italian meal that represents the types of meals I grew up cooking with my family. Upon viewing the secret ingredients, I was eager to work with arugula due to its vibrant color and sharp pepperiness; lemon due to it acidity, which nicely balances out a dish; and chickpeas, due to their texture. However, I was surprised to see canned mackerel, an ingredient I was unfamiliar with at the time. I recognized that the peppery arugula would be a great ingredient to make a pesto infused with acidity from the lemon juice, richness from the sun-dried tomatoes, and saltiness from the olives. Why not add meatballs to the pasta? I created mackerel meatballs (polpettini) stuffed with chickpeas, lemon zest, bread crumbs, parsley, and red pepper flakes for a kick. I plated the dish by twirling the pasta using a soup ladle and gently placing it on the plate. My testers enjoyed the rich flavors of the dish and they could not believe the meatballs were made with canned mackerel. It was truly a wonderful experience to work with these inspiring ingredients.
- Mary J. Insprucker