Caprese pasta salad

Consider: it's too hot to cook, but you have all of these beautiful tomatoes available in your garden/farmer's market/grocery store and they actually have amazing flavor. This situation will be non-existent by October 1. This should of course be the excuse for a meal, right?

Toss equal parts chopped fresh tomato, chopped fresh mozarella, and short pasta shape. I used oricchiette here, and the cheese is from a container of fresh mozarella pearls.  Make sure everything is about the same size. 

Chop a generous amount of fresh basil into thin slices (chiffonade) and dress with a couple glugs of olive oil, half that amount of balsamic vinegar, and season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Optional stir-ins: crispy bacon, capers. Dinner is served!

PAIRS WITH:

dry rose, dry lambrusco

You got Mexican Corn in my Pasta!

I don't know when this whole "Mexican Street Corn" thing started, but it's delicious, so screw authenticity. Also, I love pasta. PS, you can eat this hot or cold.

Mexican Corn Pasta

Serves 6

For the Dressing:
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice and zest of one lime
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Tapatio)
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Pasta Salad:
8 oz. farfalle or rotini pasta

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups corn (frozen and thawed, fresh removed from cob, or canned and drained)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced finely
4 green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese (or queso fresco, or a combo)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish


Mix all ingredients for dressing in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions in well-salted, boiling water. Drain and set aside.

Heat a skillet with the olive oil and add the corn kernels and peppers. Cook over medium-high heat until starting to brown- don’t stir too often. You should get nice dark color on some pieces.

Combine all ingredients together in a serving bowl. Stir to combine.

  

Kimchi noods with miso butter

This is a probiotic bomb, and it will leave you pleasantly full and satisfied for hours. Plus it's super tasty, fast, and you can eat it hot, cold, or at room temperature. 

Kimchi Noodles with Miso Butter

Serves 4

8 oz. stick pasta (anything--buccatini, angel hair, soba, etc. etc. Soba is pictured above.)
1 cup kimchi, drained
1 tablespoon miso butter
2 cups broccoli florets or packed baby spinach
toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

In well-salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente.  In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli (if using spinach, add in the last 60 seconds). Drain, stir in the miso butter until completely melted, then toss in the kimchi and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.

Stuffed pasta shells for when you're feelin' fancy (and have some times on your hands)

Why is stuffed pasta so fun? Why is baked pasta always so amazing?  It's a pain in the posterior to make (only in time involved, not skill level), but sometimes you just have to pull on some sweatpants, cue up the Pandora Summer Hits of the 80s playlist, and throw together some

Nicole's Jumbo A-1 Stuffed Pasta Shells

Serves 6

12ounces jumbo pasta shells
1 1⁄4cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (Reserve 1/4 cup)
1cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten and 2 egg yolks
1 pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 8-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts (reserve the liquid)
6 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

olive oil

salt and crushed red pepper flakes
fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

In an 8 quart pot, bring water to a boil and cook shells for 8 minutes or until very al dente. Drain and cool immediately with cold water. Drain and place open side down on paper towels.

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of ingredients except the tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Season with salt. Reserve the 1/4 cup of mozzarella.

Place a thin layer of the liquid from the marinated artichoke hearts plus a generous drizzle of olive oil into the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 375F.

Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan.
Scatter the artichoke hearts in between the shells and cover everything with overlapping sliced of tomato.  Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

During last 5 minutes of baking, remove foil and sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake 5 more minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Pasta and spring things

This dish came about from various little tubs of leftovers; the steamed green beans and asparagus from the garden that had served as a side to grilled steaks, the last bit of yogurt-and-mustard sauce used for dipping grilled potatoes, and some of Alison Roman's glorious savory granola I always keep around. You can make all of these things fresh, or substitute your own steamed veggies and creamy sauce here, and I'm sure it will be glorious. 

Springy Leftover Pasta

Serves 4

4 cups steamed green veggies (peas, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, whatevs)
1/2 pound whole grain farfalle pasta
salt, red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt + 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
garnishes: lemon wedges, a bowl of savory granola or roasted nuts/seeds of your choice (toasted groats would also be good)

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and mustard. Set aside.

In a well-salted pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions.  If you don't already have steamed veggies on hand, you could throw them in for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and, if you're using leftover veggies, toss together to take the chill off. Season with crushed red pepper, drizzle with some of the yogurt sauce, and garnish with a spritz of lemon and a generous sprinkle or granola. Eat hot or at room temperature.

Reliving Crawfish Monica from NoLa's Jazzfest

It's in no way good for you (is any recipe that comes out of New Orleans ever good for you?), but I always crave it when I get close to the Gulf.  After a little reading, I understand why this is the official dish of Jazzfest in New Orleans--it's super fast and easy (and very 80s, which is when it was invented). I can't find decent crawdad tails here in the Rockies so I use shrimp, but you can easily adjust if you're luckier than I (and use a pound of tails instead of the 1/2 pound of shrimp I call for, as they're tiny).

A shot of the real deal at New Orleans' Jazzfest

Shrimp Monica

Serves 6-8

1/2 pound small shrimp, shelled, tails off, and deveined
1 stick unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 fresh chives, chopped
1 cup plain milk (any flavor)

1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (this should be a staple in your kitchen, anyway)
1 pound rotini pasta + a little pasta water


Set salted water to boil in a large pasta pot. In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and chives and cook 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add shrimp and saute for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Stir in milk, then add Creole seasoning to taste. Cook for 10 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain (but reserve a little of the water). Stir pasta into the sauce, adding cooking water a tablespoon at a time if needed. Cook for another 5 minutes on low, stirring often, and allowing pasta to soak up the sauce.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This is a great way to use up a jar of roasted red peppers (or roast your own in the oven), and it might be the fastest sauce I've ever made.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serves 4

½ lb. rigatoni or other tubular pasta

2 cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ yellow onion, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 8 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

Salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

¼ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli in the last 4-5 minutes of cooking (if fresh, or the last 2 minutes if frozen).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.   Add the roasted red peppers, about a teaspoon of salt, and Italian seasoning and cook another minute.  Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree, then return to the hot pan.  Stir in the yogurt and Parmesan cheese to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

Drain the pasta-broccoli combination and add to the sauce, stirring to coat evenly.  Serve hot!

Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, featuring a surprise ingredient!

You know I'm always freezing pureed summer squash at the end of the season, and then it just sits in the freezer getting freezer-y tasting.  You can use the same amount of any squash puree--canned pumpkin, butternut squash, whatever--to give this sauce some heft and an extra infusion of veggies.  Think of it as a cheesy smoothie for your pasta...or maybe not...

Squash Alfredo with Fettucine

Serves 4

12 oz box fettucine
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup pureed squash
1 cup plain almond (or other) milk
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups pack baby spinach leaves

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for about 8 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook garlic for about 30 seconds.
Then, whisk to combine in the squash and milk. Add in the grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and continue to cook until leaves are wilted.

Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat.  If it's too thick to spread evenly through the pasta, you can add a little of the cooking liquid, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it's smooth. Top with fresh parley and parmesan for garnish.

Baked Rigatoni with Pumpkin Puree

This works just as well with any pureed squash that you preserved last fall (you crazy hippie, you) or canned pumpkin, which stands in for cream to hold things together in a much healthier way. Leftovers reheat beautifully, but this is also strangely delicious cold at, say, midnight. 

Baked Rigatoni with Pumpkin Puree

Serves 6-8
2 cups pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
Salt
1 pound rigatoni or other medium-sized pasta (like large shells)
2cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and torn
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for exactly 5 minutes, drain and run cool water over it for about 10 seconds. Set aside in the colander.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin  with the cheeses, salt, garlic. chipotles, spinach, and oregano. Add the pasta  and fold together just until combined.

Spread the pasta evenly in a casserole or baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the top is browned and the bottom layer of pasta is just tender.

Roasted Pumpkin and Spinach with Whole Wheat Pasta

After Thanksgiving I cut and roasted my pumpkins, which had been serving as table dressing until then. I ended up with some some puree for making smoothies or baking and some cubed, which I used in the recipe below. It's a totally satisfying, yet not overly rich, pasta meal that can be whipped together quickly for lunch or dinner.  If your pumpkin is already cooked, I still recommend tossing it in the oven for a short time to get those brown marks you can only achieve through roasting. 

Roasted Pumpkin and Spinach with Whole Wheat Pasta

Serves 4

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 cups of cubed pumpkin
about 2 cups torn spinach
½-1 tsp chili flakes
½ lemon, zest and juice
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped

Coat cubed pumpkin in 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and some of the chili flakes. Bake in a hot oven (425º F) for about 40-50 minutes, until pumpkin turns soft and gets lightly caramelized. 

Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Fry onion gently on a low-medium heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Add chili flakes and garlic and cook for another minute or two stirring frequently.

Cook spaghetti for a minute shorter than you would normally.

Mash half the pumpkin with a fork or potato masher. Put both mashed and whole pumpkin chunks into the pan with onion mixture.

Add drained pasta and washed spinach into the pan. Incorporate them well into the pumpkin. Taste and season with pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and additional salt and chili if needed.

Serve immediately with chopped walnuts and lemon zest on top. Shredded Parmesan on the side is also a nice garnish. 

This steak is not very Italian-o

When I was growing up, one of my favorite meals from my mom's treasure trove of recipes was a dish called "Round Steak Italiano".  It was round steak cooked in a gravy of tomato sauce and a packet of instant onion soup mix, and by Midwestern standards, it was Euro-delish. Mom would serve it over those "no yolk" curly noodles in the cellophane package.  By adding some spinach and using slightly less instant-y ingredients, this can become one of your staples, too. (PS, replace the beef with mixed mushrooms and the beef broth with a non-beef substitute, and you've got a tasty vegetarian option.)

Round Steak Italiano Reboot

Serves 4

1 pound pappardelle pasta, cooked al dente
olive oil
10 oz. flank steak, London Broil, or other lean cut
salt and black pepper
2 large shallots, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 10 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or dried oregano and a pinch dried basil)
1 tablespoon corn starch + 2 tablespoons cold water
2 packed cups torn spinach leaves

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over high heat.  Sear the flank steak on both sides and remove from the pan when the steak is edible but rare.  Allow to sit on a cutting board. 

Lower the heat to medium and add the shallots and garlic.  Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat momentarily and add the red wine; it will smoke up a bit.  Scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, then return to heat.  Add the tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Lower to a simmer and cover.

Once the steak has cooled a bit, cut it into thin strips.  Scrape the steak and all juices into the pan, toss in the spinach, give it a stir, and replace cover, allowing to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Bring to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture, whisking to thicken. Remove from heat and serve over the noodles.

Chicken and Rice revamp (Romanian style)

This is not actually Romanian, nor does it have rice.  It's very loosely based on a delicious, simple, and incredibly comforting dish that a Romanian friend, a talented filmmaker named Ouana, would make to take the chill off a snowy Wyoming night after shoveling the driveway clear.  The peppers, paprika, and sour cream (or my favorite substitute, yogurt) are pretty clearly Eastern European, and the pasta was just what she served with it.  But given the almost international tradition of chicken and rice (of some sort), I thought orzo would echo that nicely. 

Romanian Chicken and "Rice"

Serves 4

8 oz. whole wheat orzo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken breast, cut into 1/2-in strips
1 teaspoon paprika
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
12 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
generous handful of fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded
sour cream or plain yogurt for serving

Cook the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions.  Drain except for 1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  When it shimmers, add the chicken breast strips along with some salt and the paprika and stir fry until almost cooked through.  Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion and peppers to the hot oil and lower the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and stir.  Allow to simmer until very soft, stirring occasionally, which should take about 20 minutes.  Add the wine, garlic, and chicken to the pan and stir to coat.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

When the garlic becomes fragrant and some of the wine has reduced, add the pasta and reserved water.  Stir thoroughly to mix and allow to simmer another 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld and liquid to reduce slightly.  Stir in the fresh chopped basil and serve in bowls topped with sour cream/yogurt.

Tastes like Asian...noodle edition

I love, love, love noodles of every kind. And while I'll never turn down a homey pasta bolognese, I think I might like Asian noodle dishes the most. These two are stupidly easy and definitely worth the investment of those fancy oils and vinegars you've been putting off buying. 

Cucumber-Soba Bowls with chile oil

Serves 4

1 medium seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
9 ounces soba noodles
14 ounces silken tofu
Hot chile oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Large handful torn fresh basil leaves

Place the cucumbers in a large bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside, tossing occasionally, until the cucumbers have release some of their liquid, about 15 minutes.

Drain off any accumulated juices into a separate medium bowl, and whisk in the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and oil. Pour over the cucumbers and toss to combine.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain once more.

Add the drained soba noodles to the cucumber mixture and toss to combine. Divide the noodles and cucumbers among 4 bowls and top each with a spoonful of tofu. Drizzle each bowl with some hot chile oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and basil, and serve.

Fried tofu and Maifun

Serves 4

14 oz. extra firm tofu
6 oz. thin rice noodles (maifun)
1 small serrano chile, thinly sliced
3 cups washed baby spinach (or larger leaves roughly chopped)
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

Press tofu. In a large bowl, soak rice noodles, chile, and spinach in hot water. While the tofu is being pressed, mix together Sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.

Slice the tofu into slabs, heat vegetable oil in a high-sided skillet, and fry the tofu pieces until brown. Chop the fried tofu into chunks, spoon over drained rice noodle mixture, then pour the dressing over everything.

Thai Brussels Sprouts with Rice Noodles

Inspiration for this dish came from Momofuku's Brussels sprouts with fish sauce and a couple of standard traditions in my own kitchen (namely, fried shrimp with pasta and bacon + Brussels sprouts). The result looks and sound like a hot jumbled mess of stuff, but I promise is it delicious, and leftovers are heavenly hot or cold.  It's pretty salty, but nothing a nice glass of white wine can't mitigate. (PS--you could totally make this vegetarian by swapping out the shrimp for tofu and just omitting the bacon. I hear there's even a good version of vegan fish sauce recipe out there if you care to make the time.)

Thai Brussels Sprouts with Rice Noodles

Serves 4

1-1 ½ pounds small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

1 cup broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 slices bacon

12-15 medium sized shrimp, deveined and shells and tails removed

8 oz. medium rice noodles (like what you’d use in Pad Thai)

For the vinaigrette:

½ cup fish sauce (adjust to taste -- some fish sauce brands are saltier)

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

¼ cup sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced, seeds intact

2 tablespoons each chopped mint and cilantro

Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and completely submerge in hot water.  Soak for thirty minutes, drain, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450⁰F. On a foil-lined baking sheet, combine the Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and tablespoon olive oil. Spread out into a single layer, season with a little salt, and roast until there are browned spots to your liking, about 20 minutes.  You’ll probably want to check on it and give a stir about 15 minutes in.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook the bacon on low heat until browned and crunchy. Drain on a paper towel, crumble, and set aside.  Combine the shrimp with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a small bowl, then add to the bacon grease in the skillet.  Cover over medium-high heat until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Add the onions and sauté until they just turn soft, about 4 minutes.

Lower heat to low. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl, whisk to combine, and add to the skillet. Add the drained rice noodles and stir thoroughly to coat.  Stir in the roasted vegetables and the chopped mint and cilantro, and serve immediately.

Brown Sugar Shrimp and Pasta

Consider this a kind of quick-and-dirty, Italian-ish sweet and sour dish.  And spicy, and garlicky...

Brown Sugar Shrimp and Pasta

Serves 4

12 oz. large shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
small bunch kale, washed and cut into thin strips
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into a small dice
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
4 scallion, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more)
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 package spaghetti-like product of your choice

Bring a salty pot of water to boil. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.

Place the (thawed) shrimp in a bowl and add the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Stir to coat thoroughly and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the kale, red bell pepper, garlic, and green onion over medium heat until everything is tender, about five minutes. Push to one side and add the shrimp to the middle of the pan. Cook until golden, about five minutes on each side. Add the crushed red pepper and capers and stir everything together; taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Stir in the vinegar, scraping off any brown bits in the skillet.

Add the cooked, drained pasta to the skillet along with the butter. Stir to combine everything thoroughly and serve immediately in bowls.

Recipe review: Thug Kitchen's Pasta Piselli

This recipe sounded  little weird, so of course I had to try it.  The result is, as promised, very fast and easy when you're starving and considering take-out. It's nothing you're going to make for guests when you have time (unless you're a lazy friend), but the flavor is a little earthy, a little bitter in a nice way.  If you wanted to be even lazier, you could replace the shallot with 1 teaspoon of dried onion and toss it in with the peas. I added the crushed red pepper, too, because that's how I roll.

Thug Kitchen's Pasta Piselli

Serves 4

1 pound short pasta shape, like elbows or shells
3 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
pinch salt
3 cups chopped spinach or kale
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
dash crushed red pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.  In the last minute, add the peas.  Drain all but 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and cook the shallot with salt until tender. Toss in the spinach or kale and cook until wilted. Add pasta and all other ingredients and stir to coat thoroughly.

Oh-So-Satisfying Cauliflower and Olive Penne

What could be simpler than this luxurious, but very easy dish between Christmas and New Year's? Nothing.  Nothing, I say. And for anyone who doesn't love cauliflower, this is the dish for you. 

Cauliflower and Olive Penne

Serves 4

½ pound penne pasta

1 cup mixed olives, pitted and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ small yellow onion, diced

1 small head cauliflower broken into small florets (about 2 cups raw)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)

Olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

Salt to taste

1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)

¼ cup roasted almonds, chopped

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425⁰F.  In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower and onion with the oregano, red pepper flakes, some salt, and about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until brown bits develop, stirring once, about 15 minutes.  Add the olives and garlic, stir and spread, and roast another 5 minutes until olives and garlic are fragrant.

When the pasta is cooked, drain all but a ½ cup of the cooking water.  Stir in an ounce of Parmesan cheese, the lime juice, and salt to taste. Add the cauliflower mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.  Serve in individual bowls topped with equal portions of the chopped almonds and more grated Parmesan on the side. 

Ode to Japchae

Because it's cold, and noodles...but it's only an "ode" because I like to add gojuchang and can't usually find sweet potato noodles at my local store. Sorry to the purists out there!

Ode to Japchae

Serves 4

1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium, or tamari

1-2 gojuchang

1 cup firm tofu diced, (7 ounces)

8 ounces sweet potato starch noodles or bean thread noodles

4 ounces spinach fresh

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup yellow onion thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic minced

6 shiitake mushrooms stems removed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup carrots shredded

2 scallion stalks cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons Sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

In a medium sized bowl whisk together soy sauce and gojuchang. Add in tofu, gently stir to coat and allow to marinate while you prepare other ingredients.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, enough to fit the noodles. Cook noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Do not discard water. You will use it for blanching the spinach. Use tongs to transfer to a colander and rinse noodles under cool running water. Cut the noodles into 6-inch long pieces with scissors. Set aside.

Blanch spinach in the same pot of water that you cooked the noodles for 1 minute, until wilted. Drain the water and rinse under cold running water. Roll spinach into a ball and squeeze out excess water. Use a knife to cut the spinach ball in half. Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and allow to heat up. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, and carrot, saute for 2 minutes. Add scallion and saute 1 minute. Add tofu and cook 1 minute to warm (do not discard sauce). Turn heat to low and add noodles, spinach, sesame oil and sauce. Gently stir to combine until noodles are coated with the sauce. Serve topped with sesame seeds.

The easiest (guest-worthy) pasta dish you will ever make

This is one-pot pasta at its best: in the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta, you end up with a creamy, comforting dish that rivals any crappy take-out you're considering picking up on your way home from work.  Last-minute drop-ins? It works for that, too. 

Creamy Pasta with Mushrooms

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons sliced sun-dried tomatoes

4 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 pound fettuccine pasta

Bring a pot of well-salted water to boil.  Cook the fettuccine according to package directions together with the sliced mushrooms. 

When pasta is al dente, drain the pot, reserving about a ½ cup of water.  Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and cream cheese, along with about 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to start.  You should have a creamy sauce; if it’s too thick, keep adding more pasta water, one tablespoon at a time.  Then stir in the Parmesan cheese and chopped thyme and serve.

Recipe review: Smoky Pasta with Corn and Tomatoes

I tried this recipe, found in a Vegetarian Times issue this summer while waiting out a delayed flight (thanks, United) mainly because I had half a jar of chipotle peppers sitting in the fridge at home.  Also, it sounded wacky, and I love goat cheese. I discovered a new favorite dish, slightly modified from the original, below.

Smoky Pasta with Corn and Tomatoes

Serves 4

12 oz. rotini or other pasta shape
2-3 chiles from 4-oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (keep some of the sauce in there, too)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz. goat cheese, plus more for crumbling on top if desired
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, finely chop chipotle chiles (remove seeds for less heat). Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add chile and garlic, and sauté 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in goat cheese and 1/4 cup water, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth sauce forms, stirring constantly. Add more water by tablespoons if the sauce is too thick. Simmer 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and add cilantro.

Drain pasta, and return to pot. Add tomatoes, corn and cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss in extra goat cheese crumbles, if desired.