Pasta as a dessert? This sweet European treat is as delicious as it is unexpected
In our June issue, inRegister food columnist Aimee Broussard is keeping things cool with three bowl-bound recipes. For the dessert option, the Vanilla Cream Melba features a typically savory element in the sweet, chilled treat. The recipe comes from Broussard’s neighbor-friend Adriana, whose Polish mother notes that the dish is a popular dessert in Europe. So expand your palate and impress guests with Adriana’s Vanilla Cream Melba. Find the full recipe below.
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Adriana’s Vanilla Cream Melba
Ingredients:
3 oz. small pasta shells
2 cups milk
3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
2⁄3 cup lightly whipped cream
1 large can peach halves
1 tsp. cinnamon
For Melba sauce:
2 cups raspberries
1 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
Instructions:
Cook pasta in milk and brown sugar until tender. Stir regularly, being careful not to allow it to boil over.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour pasta into bowl and allow to cool. When cool, fold in cream and leave to chill in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, make Melba sauce: Purée raspberries in blender or food processor, then strain in fine sieve. Add confectioner’s sugar to taste.
Serve vanilla cream in shallow dishes. Set peach halves on top and pour Melba sauce over them. Dust with cinnamon if desired.
Aimee’s Notes: I’ve separated the recipe into individual dishes served with 1 peach half and additional whipped topping and garnished with raspberries. To do the same, you will need to reserve a bit of the whipped topping prior to folding it into the dessert.
Makes 4 servings.
Aimee Broussard is a Southern food blogger and award-winning cookbook author. Seen on QVC, Rachael Ray and more, she is a self-proclaimed accidental entrepreneur with a penchant for porches and sweet hospitality. Find her online at aimeebroussard.com.
