I recently ate at a wonderful little bistro in Montreal called Chez L’Epicier, or “house of the grocer.” The menus are written on what look like grocery sacks. Well, supper here was so good, I went out and got a sack of my own groceries to make a 30-Minute Meal knock-off of their gourmet lamb shank served with “raw spaghetti,” which turned out to be pasta with raw sauce. Hey, Montreal is a favorite getaway of mine, but I can make this meal any night I like and my market’s a lot closer!
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
Step 2
Preheat the broiler and set the broiler pan 6 inches from the flame. Drizzle a bit of EVOO over the chops and season them liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
Step 3
When the water comes to a boil, salt it then add the spaghetti and cook to al dente. While the pasta cooks, combine the vinegar, 1/3 cup of EVOO, garlic, scallions, and mint in a large bowl with the tomatoes.
Step 4
Place the chops under the broiler and cook a few minutes on each side for rare, 6 minutes on each side for medium to medium well; the time will vary depending on your broiler and the thickness of the chops. (Rare feels like the fleshy part of your hand near your thumb. Medium to medium-well will have some give but the meat will be firm.) Let the meat rest for 3 or 4 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Step 5
Drain the pasta well and toss with the tomatoes and dressing. Sprinkle with the cheese and grind lots of black pepper over the pasta, then toss again and add salt to taste. Serve a pile of the spaghetti salad alongside a couple of chops per serving.
