Brainy Asian Beef with Spices on Linguine...

On linguine, of course. After all, pasta originated from Asia, right? Well, for a time it was thought that Marco Polo in 1295 brought from China the first dried pasta; but, there are Italian recipe books from twenty years earlier than that date containing references to pasta dishes. For certain, China is an ancient culture dating back thousands of years, so it's very likely that pasta existed in China and in other Asian cultures.

There is no huge difference between Italian and Chinese pasta or what we have become used to - western pasta which uses durum wheat flour and Asian pasta which uses rice flour. Is there a significant difference in taste? Some say yes and others say no.

For this dish you will need to have: ground beef or flank steak, (1lb) celery, carrots, green pepper and onion and pasta. If you use the flank steak, marinate in peanut oil, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. If you choose to use ground beef, then prepare meatballs by mixing the ground beef with several good shakes of soy sauce and steak sauce, 3 tbs of ketchup, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup bread crumbs also a shake of garlic powder and some red pepper flakes with a pinch of salt.

Saute chopped onion and green pepper in a covered skillet. Push aside and either lay in thin strips of the flank steak or the meatballs.  Brown and bring back the onion and peppers, then cover while you prepare julienne celery and carrots. Toss in the skillet and cover while you prepare the pasta.

Before serving, add 1 tsp fresh grated ginger along with 3 tbs of teriyaki sauce to the meat. Finally, drain the tender yet firm pasta and ladle onto a low lipped serving dish, top with meat and sauce and sprinkle over the top with fresh dried parsley or cilantro.

~ Tutti a Tavola!



*Remember, being brainy in the kitchen is up to. Any brainy recipe or instruction can be altered by you to make it your own brain invention.