The Pasta Diaries

Fried Rigatoni

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:54:57 -0700

Yep. I went there. Say it with me now… FRIED. Apparently in German, fried means peace, and trust me, this pasta will bring you peace, even if for only 5 minutes. You know what’s great about fried pasta? Using up the leftover pasta in your fridge from the night (or two) before. It’s not the same if you try to make a fresh pot of pasta and tomato sauce, and then fry it. It just doesn’t work that way. Don’t even try, because you will likely ruin your meal. Just do yourself a favour, and save a bit for the next day. Works best with tomato sauce.

Steps to peace:

1. Drizzle olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Put your pasta in the frying pan. Spaghetti. Rigatoni. Rotini. Linguine. Whatever.
3. FRY THAT ISH. Ohhh fry it ‘til you get little crunchy bits. Love the crunchy bits. Add parmesan. Add chili flakes. Fry, fry, fry!
4. Mangia! (Translation: Eat!)

Spaghetti with Shrimp & Scallops

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:55:14 -0700

Remember when we were kids, when one kid would say “Hey do you like seafood?” and you would say, “Yeah, sure, I like shrimp and Filet-o-Fish and stuff,” and then the kid would take a bite of his/her food, chew it, and then open his/her mouth to reveal the chunky mush-fest aftermath of a PB&J sandwich? “SEEEEE! SEEEEE-FOOD!”

I don’t know why I thought of that. Perhaps it’s because this is my first real seafood dish (I’m not going to count my canned tuna and macaroni masterpiece). Or maybe it’s just because I’m an 8 year old trapped in a 20-something’s body. Anyway… On to the next one! I mean recipe. Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 handfulls of cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved or sliced
Shrimp (fresh or thawed from frozen)
Scallops (fresh or thawed from frozen)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil
Chili flakes
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese
Parsley for garnish

I know it’s been a while here at the pasta diaries, but boiling a pot of water is like riding a bike. Once you know how to do it, you never forget. So go on now. When it’s boiled, add salt and pasta.

While your water is boiling, pat dry the scallops with a paper towel. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle (drizzy drake) with olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, put your scallops in the pan. I used mini scallops, but if you are using large scallops, you’ll probably want to place them in the pan one by one, let them cook on one side for about 1-2 minutes, and then flip. They should be a golden colour on the flat sides. Once the scallops are cooked, set them aside on a plate.

Shrimpy time. In the same skillet, add a tablespoon of butter. Let it melt and then add in the shrimp. Cook until pink, and then set aside with the scallops.

In that same skillet (again! look at us!) add a tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss in your red peppers and tomatoes. Add in the garlic, and chili flakes. Stir until heated. Don’t burn the garlic!

Your pasta is probably ready now, so strain it, and this part is important: SAVE ABOUT A CUP OF THE PASTA WATER. I got in trouble for this tonight. I failed to save the water, and so the pasta stuck together a bit. Sorry Mom. So let’s pretend I saved the water. Add the strained pasta to the skillet (which should be on low heat) with the pepper/tomato mixture. Toss it around and slowly add some of that pasta water (use your judgement). Toss in the shrimp and scallops. Serve with parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley if you’re feeling fancy. Fancy feast! Enjoy!

My problems, where did they all just go?

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:41:32 -0700

I love this. I love pasta. Thank you Eleni for sharing this with me!

Good Food: Pasta Design

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:09:00 -0800

Although I don’t listen to this radio show as often as I’d like, I am never disappointed when I do get the chance to listen to Evan Kleiman’s Good Food on KCRW. One of today’s segments focused on pasta: Homemade Pasta with Kids and Pasta by Design. The first part of the segment instantly made me want to make homemade pasta, so I think I will finally venture into that territory this week. The second part of the segment was an interview with George Legendre, author of the book Pasta by Design (image from the book above). I actually saw this book in Chapters a few months ago and nearly bought it, soon remembering that I had gone into Chapters to get Christmas gifts for other people, not myself.

If you are interested in food and culture, give Good Food a listen this weekend. You can listen or download the episode here.

Strozzapreti with Pesto

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:25:42 -0800

Yes, I realize I have already made a pesto based pasta very similar to this. However, this is my “diary”—so I’m keeping note of all the pasta dishes I make, even if they are slight variations. What are you gonna do about it? Nothing? Thought so. Oh, and remember those frozen pesto cubes I told you about before? They worked out perfectly for this recipe. Makes approximately 3-4 servings.

Ingredients

Strozzapreti Pasta
4 Pesto cubes (Or for fresh pesto, see recipe here)
Handfull of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup of table cream
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add pasta and salt to taste. While pasta is cooking, melt butter (or use olive oil) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, and pesto cubes. Gradually add the cream as the pesto cubes start to melt, and stir often. Once pasta is ready, strain, and return back to saucepan. The pesto sauce should be ready by now, so pour it over the pasta, and stir until all noodles are coated. Add pepper and parmesan cheese, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Fettuccine Alfredo con Prosciutto, Asparagi e Funghi

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:58:50 -0800

Dinner Parties! So, I think this may officially be the most people I’ve had to cook a pasta dish for. Although it was only for 9 people, when it comes to pasta, you’ve really got to get your portions right. This dish started as one thing, and then my mind went off into a bit of a tangent and ended up turning into the above. As amazing as iPhone photo quality is (pffffft.), the picture really does not do this dish justice. Eating definitely had priority over taking a photo. Anyway. On to the recipe! If I can remember! Serves 9-10 people, so adjust the ingredients accordingly.

Ingredients:

900g Fettuccine
15 slices of prosciutto, cut into small pieces
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into small pieces
20 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 cup of butter (maybe more, this isn’t a weight loss recipe so go wild)
1 1/2 cups of heavy/whipping cream
4 cloves of garlic, minced
(Lots of) Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Okay. This is another one of those recipes that has no order to it. You’ve just gotta go with it, so excuse these maniac directions. You’ll probably need at least 3 burners on the stove, so now would be a good time to kick your roommates out of the kitchen.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the fettuccine.

While you’ve got that going, put your cut prosciutto into a large frying pan over medium heat. Make sure to stir often so it doesn’t stick together. Don’t worry about putting oil in the pan either, the fat in the prosciutto will do that for you. Next, add the asparagus. Keep on stirring and mixing. Add in a couple cloves of the minced garlic, then add the mushrooms. I think I may have added a tablespoon or two of butter at this point too, so let’s go for it.

So, so far, we’ve got water boiling for fettuccine (it may have boiled already, so put the pasta in). Make sure to add a good amount of salt and make sure you have plenty of water in the pot or else your pasta will stick together! That is bad! And we’ve got all of those awesome ingredients making love in the frying pan. Turn the heat to low and just keep stirring.

In a small-ish saucepan, over medium heat, add the rest of the butter. Let it melt, and then add the cream and garlic. Make sure to stir often. OFTEN! Or else… So then, once it starts to come to a boil, lower that heat right down low. Keep stirring. You are getting a workout. Feel the burn. FEEL IT DAMMIT. Add the parmesan and keep stirring until the sauce becomes thick. Are you keeping an eye on the pasta? And the love making in the frying pan?

OK. So your pasta must be done by now. Strain it, but leave a little bit of water in the pot so the pasta doesn’t stick. I find it easier to plate this dish individually as opposed to mixing everything together. If you have a spare metal mixing bowl, use it now. Add in your portion of pasta to the bowl, and add in healthy scoops of the prosciutto mix. Pour over a good amount of the alfredo sauce (that’s the cream sauce we made) and toss it together with some tongs.

Plate that money and enjoy! Add fresh cracked pepper and more parm if you please. You won’t regret it.

Macaroni & Cheese with Tuna and Peas

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:55:00 -0800

Did you ever think Kraft Dinner could look classy? I know “Kraft Dinner” and “classy” shouldn’t really be used in a sentence together… ever… but behold! The Pasta Diaries is going back to it’s roots with a budget recipe, starring White Cheddar KD. Sometimes you’ve just gotta work with what you’ve got, right?

Ingredients

White Cheddar KD (and the usual ingredients you need to cook it)
1 cup of frozen peas
Can of tuna, drained
1 clove of garlic, minced

I’m going to go ahead and assume you all know how to cook Kraft Dinner. If you don’t, I’m going to go ahead and assume that you’ve had a personal chef cooking for you your entire life. Must be nice. Directions are on the side of the box.

Basically, when it comes time to mixing all of your regular KD ingredients together, also mix in the can of tuna, clove of garlic, and frozen peas. Stir it all together like you normally would, and BAM! You’ve just made your KD a bit more substantial. The portion seriously seems to double once the tuna is added, which makes this a cheap, filling, and semi-nutritious meal.

Recipe inspired by the awesome Taylor Walker!

An Ode to Buddy

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:11:00 -0800

The Pasta Diaries presents: An Ode to Buddy

Pasta inspired by Buddy the Elf from the movie ‘Elf’.

Filmed by Shane H. O’Neill
Edited by Diana Brucculieri

Merry Christmas from the Pasta Diaries!

Spaghetti with Sea Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:42:00 -0800

Baby! Asparagus! Look how cute they are! Just like big asparagus, only smallerrrrrr! But really. Have you ever seen these things? The first time I saw or heard about them was in June at the Whistler Farmer’s Market. Apparently they grow in coastal areas, so they often have a naturally sea-salty taste. I was with my mom the first time we bought some, and she had a brilliant idea to pair them with sea scallops and garlic. Unfortunately, when I came around to making my version, I was still living on Budget Island, so scallops weren’t an option, but fresh cherry tomatoes definitely were. On to the recipe lads! Makes approx. 2 servings

Ingredients

Spaghetti
Handful of sea asparagus
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add spaghetti. In a frying pan, heat a generous glug of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the sea asparagus and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer over low-medium heat until heated through (or until the pasta is ready). Once pasta is al dente, strain and add to the frying pan. Toss all ingredients together and serve immediately. Add some chili flakes for a bit of spice if you please, and of course, parmesan if you have it! BABY ASPARAGUS!

P.S. There WILL in fact be a special “Buddy the Elf” pasta post coming next week… Stay tuned kids!

ELF

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:13:00 -0800

So, I just watched Elf last night and noticed that Buddy makes an extraordinary pasta for himself about halfway through the movie. I think the dish included some exquisite ingredients such as smarties, chocolate sauce and syrup. Not going to lie, kind of intrigued. Think I should try it out?

Minestrone

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:26:48 -0800

Sauces aren’t the only ones getting pasta love—pasta noodles love soup, too! This hearty minestrone is a perfect meal for a chilly autumn or winter day, and this recipe is courtesy of The Toneman. The thing that’s great about this soup is that it makes A LOT, so you can make not only your tummy happy, but your friends’ tummies as well. What’s that? You live alone in a log cabin in the woods, away from civilization, and you don’t want to eat the whole pot of soup in one sitting? Don’t worry. You can freeze portions of this soup and reheat it for another day. No freezer in the log cabin? Freeze it outside in the snow. Just watch out for bears. Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

Pasta Shells (Small)
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can of beans (kidney, romano, mixed etc.), rinsed
1 can of lentils, drained
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
2 carrots, sliced into circles
1/2 an onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 sweet potato, diced
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Bouillon cube (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and diced tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add lentils, beans and garlic, simmering for about 5 more minutes. Then, add about 1 cup of water for every serving (that’s what I usually do, you can eyeball it). Feel free to add a bouillon cube to the water (follow directions on package). Add the rest of the ingredients, cover the soup and let it simmer (but not boil), stirring occasionally. Add pepper to taste (and salt, if you didn’t use bouillon). Soup should be ready in about 30 minutes or so.

While the soup is cooking, boil a pot of water for the pasta shells (or other bite size, soup-worthy pasta). Cool pasta according to package, and drain when ready. Once minestrone is ready (vegetables should be tender), add the noodles to the large saucepan. Stir it all together, serve and enjoy!

*Tip: Pasta doesn’t always freeze very well, so if you plan on freezing portions of this soup, don’t mix pasta and soup in the large saucepan. Instead, mix it in each bowl that you serve, or, if you have enough saucepans, mix soup and noodles in one pot, and leave the remaining soup (without noodles) in another. Let it cool, then transfer to freezable containers.

Vodka Pasta

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:24:45 -0700

Need I say more? Didn’t think so. You won’t get drunk from eating this dish (unless, of course, you drink the vodka while you cook), but your tastebuds will definitely be intoxicated with delicious flavour. You might want to lick the bowl clean, and that, my friend, is completely acceptable. Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 bag of Rigatoni (the “corduroy” variety is best, in my opinion)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (or 1 large mason jar)
1/2 can of tomato paste (optional)
4 cloves of garlic (at least!), halved
4-5 links of sausage (can be omitted if you are vegetarian)
1/2 cup of heavy cream/whipping cream
1/2-3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Chili flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
VODKA (just a splash)

Before you start boiling water, start making the sauce. Heat up some olive oil over low/medium heat and toss in the garlic. Let it simmer for a minute or two. Add the can of crushed tomatoes (be careful, it will splatter). Stir in the tomato paste if you think the consistency of the sauce is too thin. Add chili flakes, salt and pepper, give the sauce a stir, reduce heat and cover, stirring occasionally.

In a frying pan, fry the sausage until cooked. Set aside and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, slice and add to the tomato sauce.

Now we can put a pot of water on the stove to boil. You know the drill.

Once the pasta is just about ready, increase the heat on the sauce. Add in a splash of vodka (and if you’re feeling zesty, take a shot for yourself). Stir for a minute or two and then add the whipping cream.

Strain pasta once ready, and return to saucepan. The sauce should be ready by now (taste it and see how you feel about it). Add generous amounts of sauce and cheese to the pasta. The routine I found that worked best was add sauce-sprinkle cheese-stir-repeat. I did have some sauce left over (fridge! freezer!), so don’t feel that you have to use it all. You want the pasta to have a nice even coat of sauce with just a little extra, in case there is some bread on the table that needs some saucy love.

Once all ingredients are having a party in the saucepan, transfer the pasta to a bowl and move the party to your mouth where it belongs. Add extra chili flakes and cheese if your heart desires. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Pesto, Chicken & Mushrooms

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:47:26 -0700

Hello carb lovers, it’s been a while. To make up for lost time, I’m bringing you a double whammy of carbs tonight: Gnocchi. “Double whammy?” you say? Yes. Why? Because potato plus pasta equals twice as much carbs as regular pasta* and twice as much happiness in your tummy. Hungrump be gone! Makes 2 servings

*Not sure if this is a fact, but it seems logical, so you should just believe me.

Ingredients:

Pesto
1 cup of basil leaves
1/4 cup of olive oil
3-4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

Gnocchi
I will make them home made one day, and when that happens, the 5 people following this blog will be the first to know. For tonight, I used gnocchi from a package. Obviously not as good. Shoot me.

Chicken
There was leftover chicken in the fridge, so I cut it up into bite size pieces to use in this recipe. Feel free to use those chicken wings you brought home from the bar last night. The barbecue sauce will just add to the flavour. Vegetarian? Use tofu. (Don’t).

Other
Cream
Mushrooms, sliced
Salt & Pepper
Butter

Boil salted water for the gnocchi. They only take about 3-5 minutes to cook, so time the rest of your cooking and preparing accordingly.

A magic bullet blender will come in handy if you have one to make the pesto. If you’ve seen the commercial, I’m pretty sure even they say it makes making pesto a breeze. They weren’t lying. Toss all of those pesto ingredients into the MB and bullet the crap out of them until you have a nice creamy sauce/paste. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat a tablespoon or so of butter over medium heat. Add chicken (leftover/previously cooked), mushrooms, a tablespoon or so of pesto, and a splash of cream. Stir all ingredients together until coated. Add more pesto and cream, as well as pepper, until desired taste is achieved.

When gnocchi is finished (they rise to the top of the water when they are cooked), strain, and then add to the skillet. Toss all ingredients together. Top with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Note: If you have leftover pesto, don’t throw it out! Use an old (or current) ice cube tray, divide the rest of your pesto into the tray and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes from tray, place in a freezer bag and store in your freezer. Next time you need a quick sauce for your pasta, voila! Just remove a couple of cubes and toss them in a skillet or pot with your cooked pasta.

Mia madre fatto uno buono pranzo stasera!

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:44:21 -0700

That’s Italian for my mother can make a better lasagne than your mother. Okay, not really, but it does mean that she made a great dinner this evening, which consisted of the above lasagne. I have to say, I’ve made some pretty good lasagnes in my time (pfft, my time, whatever that means), but nothing will ever compare to my mother’s. They say you learn from the best, but I definitely still have some learning to do.

Spaghetti with Rapini, Chunky Tomatoes & Goat's Cheese

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:49:21 -0700

Rapini (aka broccoli rabe): it’s kind of like swiss chard and broccoli combined into one super vegetable. Actually, I don’t really know if this is a super vegetable, or what a vegetable must do to gain ‘super’ status for that matter. Whatever. Go boil some salted water, k? Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 490g package of spaghetti
1 bunch of rapini, washed, ends cut off, stringy bits peeled off
1 398mL can of chunky tomatoes, or 4-5 medium tomatoes peeled and diced
Olive oil
1-2 cloves of Garlic
Goat’s cheese
Salt

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, rapini, and a bit more salt since we are cooking the pasta and rapini together. Pour a glug of olive oil in a large skillet/frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and tomatoes (and a dash of salt if there is no salt added to the canned tomatoes) and simmer over low/medium heat. Once pasta and rapini are ready, strain and transfer to the frying pan and toss with tomato sauce. Transfer to a plate and top with goat’s cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The Whistler Dream Pasta

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:59:11 -0700

For those of you living the dream out West, get your hands on some frozen pasta for $2.79 at the grocery store. With shoulder season approaching, there is no time like now to start saving for activities like Euro Après and Crystal Hut Belgian Waffles! And with weather like this happening already, you better start saving fast, because it looks like shoulder season might be a short one this year! I’d totally eat this pasta to live the dream again. Remember that week in February? Yeah, me too. Photo courtesy of Sam Bancroft.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:37:31 -0700

I’m not on hiatus! I swear! I have just been in transition over the past couple weeks. I no longer live in British Columbia—I am back in Ontario. Sure, there are no mountains, but there is a fridge full of CHEESE. So much cheese. All kinds of cheese. Mountains of cheese if you will. Well, cheese formed into triangle chunks. Triangles are like mountains.

I made this recipe while I was still in the lovely little town of Whistler. I was staying with some friends for the week and told them I would make them dinner every night in exchange for letting me crash at their place. Since I had never made carbonara before, I had to look this recipe up. I used my recipe go-to site, Epicurious, to find out how to make this dish. Due to laziness and the fact that the website probably explains the directions better that I could, the recipe below is copied from here (and slightly modified). We added mushrooms for extra pizazz. Yes, I just used that word. Deal with it, you know why? Because it turned out to be delicious. Boom. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

8-10 thin slices of pancetta or prosciuto, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5-6 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine (or a little more…)
1 lb spaghetti
3 large eggs
1 1/2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (3/4 cup)
3/4 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated (1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut pancetta into 1/3-inch dice, then cook in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fat begins to render, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano , Pecorino Romano (1/3 cup), 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Drain spaghetti in a colander and add to onion mixture, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated. Remove from heat and add egg mixture, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

Sorry It's Not Pasta...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:05:03 -0700

Sometimes you just have to listen to your stomach and follow through with meal plans that seem like unachievable dreams. The above carnage started out as 4 racks of ribs, 6 cobs of corn, 3 sweet potatoes, 2 dozen chicken wings, 2 gallons (not really) of barbecue sauce, ranch dressing because obviously, balsamic reduction because the nostril burning during the initial creation is so worth it, constantly flowing liquid gold AKA beer, and a whole lot of awesomeness. Total demolition time: 1 hour 15 minutes. Final meal verdict: WINNING. Sorry it’s not pasta, but COME ON. How can I not blog about this? Ab. So. Lute. Ly. Savage.

Everything Pasta

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:26:00 -0700

This is more of a ‘use-up-the-food-in-your-fridge-before-it-goes-bad’ pasta. I’m moving out next week and getting set to travel the west coast for the next month, so I am trying to get rid of (um, eat?) all of the food in my fridge and cupboards so that none of it goes to waste. This is the kind of recipe where you literally just throw everything you have into a pan, let it cook, throw it over your pasta noodles and hope for the best. Let your imagination run wild kids! I pictured this to be more of a veggie bolognese before I made it, but it ended up being more of a salsa, and it looks really similar to the pasta primavera I made a few days ago (it tastes different, I swear). Would have been perfection with garlic bread! The following recipe can be changed as you please—have some mushrooms in the fridge? Toss ‘em in. No black beans? No problem! Makes approx. 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti (Orecchiette, or pasta of similar size, would work quite well with this sauce, too)
Small can of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp of butter
Asparagus, chopped into small pieces
Zucchini, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup of black beans, rinsed
1/4 of a small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
Salt & Pepper

In a medium frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Toss in onion and garlic and let simmer for a few minutes. Add chopped vegetables to frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil and cook that pasta like you know how! (Hint: Al Dente). Add the can of diced tomatoes to the frying pan after you’ve let the vegetables cook, and let the sauce simmer until your pasta is finished, or until the vegetables in the sauce are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once pasta is finished, strain and add it to the sauce in the frying pan. Toss all ingredients together until coated. Serve immediately & enjoy.

Pasta Primavera

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:08:18 -0700

I hope you all went to your local market or grocer this weekend and picked up your favourite vegetables! When translated from Italian, Primavera means ‘Spring’, referring to the season. I know it’s summer, but with all the rain and not-so-scorching temperatures we’ve been having here, a lot of days end up feeling like Springtime—not such a bad thing. Pasta Primavera, made here with Farfalle (bow-tie pasta!), is a great dish because you can use pretty much any vegetables, and there isn’t really a sauce, just a classic olive oil/garlic/salt/pepper “soffritto”. Feel free to alter this recipe as you wish, there is lots of room for experimentation! For something a little more filling, add a grilled chicken breast sliced over top of the final dish. This also works great as a cold pasta salad for summertime barbecues, just chill overnight in the fridge! Makes approx. 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

Farfalle Pasta (If you haven’t noticed by now, I suck at trying to guess measurements for things, so use your best judgement! If you make too much… leftovers!)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
6-8 asparagus shoots, bottoms cut off, and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 a small zucchini, sliced into rounds and then halved
2-3 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 of a large purple onion, thinly sliced
Olive Oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
Pinch of Italian Spice (or finely chopped fresh herbs from the garden! Basil, parsley…)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chili Flakes (optional)

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Time may vary by brand, so check the package for the recommended time. While water is boiling, chop, slice and dice your veggies. In a large frying pan, heat a few ‘glugs’ of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and let simmer. Add tomato, asparagus, and bell pepper. Let simmer for a few more minutes then toss in the rest of your vegetables and spices (to taste) including S&P. Toss the vegetables occasionally in the frying pan, lowering the heat to medium-low after about 5-7 minutes. Once pasta is ready, strain, and add to the vegetable mixture in the frying pan. Toss until everything is mixed and pasta is coated with the olive oil and juices from the veggies. If you have parmesan, grate it on top for an extra bite (I sadly did not have any parm. Sigh.) and serve immediately! Look at all the colours! Enjoy.