…Purée the soup in the pan with a handheld immersion blender, or blend in a blender or food processor if you don’t have an immersion blender. Add the reserved whole chickpeas and the pasta to the blended part, season the soup with some pepper (it will likely be salty enough because of the veggie bouillon), and simmer gently until the chickpeas are very tender and the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary. Season to taste…
I cook as an expression of love and gratitude and hope and memories and nostalgia. I cook because I simply like to cook and express those feelings, and others. I also sometimes cook, not exactly as bribery, but as way to improve my 12-year-old’s mood. Pasta Carbonara is pretty much a guaranteed mood-booster in our household. I like Pasta Carbonara, the Roman pasta dish of pancetta, egg, black pepper and Parmesan–brilliantly made in way that the residual heat of…
…Green Garlic If you have access to fresh pasta, buy or make some! I used fresh spinach pasta from a local market but also enjoy this with regular, dried pasta. Serves 4-6 (or 3 if you love pasta as much as my family does) 5 stalks green garlic, trim the top 1/3 – 1/2 of the stalk and peel away the outermost layer and mince the rest 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil but butter is particularly…
…black pepper. Boil pasta in generous amount of salted water. Scoop out and save ½-3/4 cup of cooking water and then drain when pasta is al dente. Return pasta to the pan, add peas and bacon, egg mixture and reserved cooking water and mix well. The heat of the pasta will cook the egg and create a lovely sauce. Serve hot with extra cheese if you’d like. Carbonara is traditionally very peppery so don’t be shy with the black pepper….
…pasta, a favorite shape I use in this chickpea dish and generally have on hand to add to soup–a surefire way to get my son to eat anything even if they’re just a few of them on the plate. Serve this dish with a salad of arugula and/or chicories or other winter salad green to add some color and contrasting flavors to the plate. My idea of a perfect winter meal. Cauliflower Pasta “Risotto” –adapted from Around my French Table…
…well for completely different consistencies. Chickpea and Avocado Salad/Sandwich –inspired by twopeasandapod.com This is delicious as a dip, on toasted bread, as a sandwich filling or just as is. You can adapt this in many ways too—add your favorite hot chilies or hot sauce, different spices or herbs, etc. See more ideas for variations above. I particularly like using mint or basil or a combination. Tarragon and chives are good and so is parsley. 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas 2…
…or need, simple, quick recipes to avoid eating processed foods, then this might be your class. If you live in Portland, Oregon you can buy this fresh spinach pasta at Pastaworks/City Market. It’s delicious, beautiful and incredibly inexpensive. Pasta with Green Garlic, Butter & Parmesan You use the whole garlic stalk, much like you would a green onion (scallion). The whole plant is tender and delicious so just barely trim it. And if you don’t have pasta you can gently…
…very last of the cherry tomatoes a friend shared. And it was a recent facebook post by a friend asking what to do with little bits of different kinds of pasta that had accumulated in his pantry. If you cook (especially small shapes) pasta, like risotto (minus most of the stirring) you get a deliciously creamy result and precise cooking times don’t matter since you’re not after al dente! This Pasta “Risotto” Template is going to get a lot…
Main Dishes Barley Lentil Soup with Green Garlic and Parsley Bean and Egg Burrito with Greens Bean, Herb and Cheese Quesadilla Japanese Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) Caldo Verde (Cabbage and Potato Soup with Chorizo) Cauliflower Pasta “Risotto” Chard Patties aka “Daddy Patties” Chard Stem Gratin Chard Tart Chickpeas & Pasta Corncakes Couscous whatever-you-have-on-hand Salad Crepes with Caramelized Onions and Tomatoes Eggplant, Sweet, Hot and Sour Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Salsa Verde Fried Rice Frittata with Greens Green Risotto…
…cut into bite-sized pieces 1 lb stout pasta, like penne, fusilli or rigatoni 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice or a combination of cheeses Salt and freshly ground pepper Pinch or two red pepper flakes Splash of good olive oil Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and set a timer for 3-4 minutes less than the cooking time for the pasta. When the timer goes…
Minestrone Talk about a template; minestrone is a bean and vegetable soup and, loosely defined, can use any bean, any shape of pasta (or no pasta), most any vegetable and herb, meat or no meat (diced bacon or a little sausage is good, added when cooking onions) be hearty and stew-like or light and brothy. For me, what makes or breaks minestrone are the beans and the bean broth. You can certainly use canned beans but home-cooked beans with their…
…kind of pasta you’ll want to add it to the potatoes so they’re both done at the same time. The pasta can be quite al dente when you drain everything though since it will keep cooking in the oven. When the potatoes (and pasta, if using) are almost tender add the cabbage to the pot. Cover and cook for another few minutes until the cabbage is tender. Drain. Spread the vegetables in a large baking dish. Pour the béchamel…
… Variations Add vegetables such as peas, broccoli, cauliflower or finely chopped kale or chard about 3 minutes before the pasta is tender. See this cauliflower pasta and this Brussels sprout pasta for similar dishes with vegetables. Serves 2-3 1 1/2 cups tubetti (or ditalini or small elbow macaroni) 3 1/4 cups vegetable broth, chicken stock or water (if using water you’ll need 1/4 teaspoon salt) 1/2 cup heavy cream Plenty of freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups…
…a pasta dish with a raw tomato sauce (just blanch a few tomatoes, peel them and whizz in the blender with 2 handfuls of basil and 4 tbs of olive oil and salt) that you toss with room temperature pasta and diced fresh mozzarella. So I cook the pasta in the morning, toss it with olive oil and it’s ready for the sauce and hungry boys in no time. There are infinite ways to split up the dinner cooking whether…
…thick and syrupy. Taste for vinegar and salt; then pour this syrup over the vegetables. Deborah suggests serving this with slices of grilled polenta or piled on top of grilled bread that has been spread first with a layer of garlic mayonnaise. See above post for further ways to use, i.e. with a fried egg or blended into a smooth pasta sauce, etc. Serve warm or at room temperature. For breakfast with an egg. For dinner with pasta and basil….
…a milder version) or some dried hot pepper if you don’t have fresh ones, to taste 2 small stalks celery, finely chopped 1 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes, finely chopped or 2 tablespoons tomato paste or some chopped sun-dried tomatoes 4 cups cooked (or canned) chickpeas, drained 2 cups chickpea cooking liquid (or water, veg or chicken broth) 2 cups canned tomatoes Chopped cilantro and thinly sliced scallion, for serving…
…Teriyaki Chickpeas & Pasta Coconut Rice with Corn Corn & Zucchini Fritters Cornbread Eggy Quesadilla (with Herbs) Fried Rice & CSA Fried-Rice w/ Bacon Lentil Soup Margherita Pizza Minestrone One-pot Tomato and Sausage Pasta with Greens Pasta Carbonara w/ Snap or Snow Peas Quick Broccoli Orzo Quick Mac and Cheese w/ Herbs (or Veggies) Rutabaga & Parsnip (or Potato/Carrot, etc. ) “Latkes” Spaghetti and Nettle Pie Savory Swiss Chard Pancakes Tomato Bulgur w/ Basil & Garlic Zucchini & Rice Fritters…
…Add more salt (like 2+ tablespoons) than you think necessary. Cook the pasta until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking heat the olive oil in a large skillet, that will later accommodate all the pasta, over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and stir constantly for about 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Mash the anchovies and garlic up a bit while you stir. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the garlic and anchovies,…
…does not mean lots of trips to the store. I stumbled upon shelling beans at my local market recently and remembered that I had several dishes with shellies that needed re-testing and photographing. I headed home and tested an old pasta dish (inspired by a decade-old Pastaworks newsletter) with a shelling bean, tomato, bacon and basil sauce. The tomatoes and basil were in the garden, the bacon in the freezer and the pasta in the pantry. Yes, the original recipe…
…Fried Rice & CSA Fried-Rice w/ Bacon Frittatas: Fresh Herb, Summer Squash & Herb; Mustard Greens; Sweet Pepper & Potato; Green Garlic, Fava Greens & Feta Green Beans w/ Mint & Feta Korean-inspired Ground Beef & Asparagus One-pot Tomato and Sausage Pasta with Greens Parsnip & Parsley Hash w/ Egg and Lemon Pasta Carbonara w/ Snap or Snow Peas Pasta w/ Kale and Hot Pepper Quick Broccoli Orzo Quick-Cooked Collards w/ Citrus & Raisins Quick Green Curry w/ Broccoli Quick…
…either alone or in combination–parsley, basil, chives, thyme, tarragon, etc. And this time of year the hearty, leafy greens or leeks (with thyme and goat cheese) are my standby’s. The birthday party frittate from this weekend: kale, chili flake and nutmeg, and sausage and potato. Leftover wedges of a frittata make a wonderful sandwich filling paired with a little arugula, a few slices of onion, and a drizzle of olive oil. If you have leftover spaghetti or other pasta (sauced…
…a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander, reserving half a cup of the cooking liquid, and rinse with cold water until cooled. Toss with sesame oil and place in a large serving bowl. Add carrots, pepper, scallion and herbs to the noodles and toss. Pour about half of the sauce over the noodles and toss with a couple of spoons or a pair of tongs, adding more sauce as needed to coat the noodles….
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