Basil, Anchovy, and Zucchini Pasta

It feels strange to be enjoying the bounty of summer produce in December, but here with are with an abundance of greens and zucchini. I've never tried growing zucchini so I've never felt the pain of garden overload, but our CSA box seems to want to share it nonetheless. I had a zucchini recipe earmarked in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, but when I went to make it, I realized we were out of eggs. This one became the hasty backup and to be honest, I was a bit suspicious of how much I'd like it. I shouldn't have worried though. It's an explosion of cheesy pasta with plenty of umami thanks to the anchovies. It's also a great quick and easy dinner option for those days when you want to minimize cook time and heat in the kitchen.

Note the recipe calls for small zucchini. Ours were big, so I sliced them before boiling. I've also simplified a bit to only dirty one pot.

One year ago: Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Two years ago: Sole Stuffed Crab
Three years ago: Galveston Crab Cakes
Four years ago: Pork Meatball Banh Mi
Five years ago: Baked Green Lasagne with Meat Sauce
Six years ago: Arugula and Cheese Pseudo Frittata

Basil, Anchovy, and Zucchini Pasta (from Maggie's Harvest - a gorgeous Australian cookbook!)

Ingredients
400g (about 12) small zucchini, ~8cm long
sea salt
500g pasta
extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
12 anchovy fillets, chopped
20 basil leaves
100g freshly grated pecorino

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook the zucchini for a few minutes.
2. Remove the zucchini with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a bit of pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl.
4. Slice the zucchini into 2 or 3 pieces, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and grind on black pepper. Add zucchini to pasta.
5. Toss anchovies in pasta with basil, pecorino, and another drizzle of olive oil. If the pasta need moistening, add some of the reserved water. Serve.

Sopa Seca de Fideo con Tomatillo y Queso

The Bay Area is a pretty magical place for fresh produce, but even with nearly year-round abundance, late summer is a pretty magical time of year. I had initially passed over this recipe while flipping through this cookbook, but while searching for a way to celebrate the availability of fresh tomatillos at the market, I looked at this one with fresh eyes. Tomatillo salsa, chorizo, pasta, chevre, and avocado! How had I passed over this one? If you want to simplify this recipe into quick and easy territory, I think you could easily replace the homemade tomatillo sauce with 1 cup of quality jarred stuff. Not that it's difficult to make, but it is sometimes hard to find fresh tomatillos depending on your location and it will save 20 minutes (and the first 2 steps), moving this into a quick weeknight meal. The author suggests Hoja Santa for the chevre, but I didn't feel like hunting for it. I also went with a slightly thicker pasta than the recommended capellini.

Two years ago: Chilled Cucumber Soup
Three years ago: Gooey Ginger Chicken
Four years ago: Pearl Couscous with Olives, Roasted Tomatoes and Feta

Sopa Seca de Fideo con Tomatillo y Queso (from Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese)

Ingredients
Salsa
12 ounces tomatillos, husks removed
1 - 2 serrano chiles, stems removed
1/4 medium onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Rest
5 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces Mexican chorizo, crumbled
7 ounces capellini, broken into 1/2" pieces
1 tsp sea salt (less if your stock is on the salty side)
pepper
2 1/3 cups chicken stock
1 (5 ounce) round of Hoja Santa or other chevre, chopped and broken apart
1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and diced
crema fresca or sour cream (I omitted because I forgot to buy some!)

1. Place tomatillos, serrano chiles, and onion on a sheet pan and broil for 15 minutes until charred.
2. Place broiled vegetables along with garlic and cilantro in blender. Puree.
3. Place 3 tbsp of oil in large saucepan and heat over medium-high. Add chorizo and cook 3 - 4 minutes until crispy. Use slotted spoon to remove and set aside.
4. Add pasta to saucepan and return to medium-high heat. Cook in chorizo oil until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil to pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo salsa and salt. Allow to reduce for about a minute (only a 1/4 cup reduction).
6. Add pasta and cook until it absorbs the liquid.
7. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook undisturbed fro 15 - 17 minutes or until pasta is soft, but not mush and liquid has mostly been absorbed.
8. Scoop into bowls and garnish with fried chorizo, chevre, avocado, and crema fresca. You can also garnish with more cilantro if desired.

Humboldt Fog with Grilled Peaches and Orzo

While I was gone, the peak of interesting berry season came and went, so I find myself back in San Francisco at the peak of stone fruit season instead. You can't wander through the markets without admiring the beauty of a wide range of stone fruits - peaches, pluots, apriums, oh my! This pasta salad captures the beauty of the summer season and pairs it with one of my favourite nuts here - pistachios! We paired it with a grilled rib eye for a low-fuss summer meal. If you can't find Humboldt Fog, substitute with another chevre of your choice.

Two years ago: Farro and Roasted Pepper Salad
Three years ago: Chocolate Gravy
Four years ago: Peppers Stuffed with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Humboldt Fog with Grilled Peaches and Orzo (from Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese)

Ingredients
3 yellow peaches
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
10 ounces orzo
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
6 ounces Humboldt Fog, rind removed and coarsely crumbled

1. Preheat grill. Scrub the peaches of extraneous fuzz. Cut peach in half lengthwise and discard pits.
2. Combine honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt in a ziplock bag. Add peaches and marinate 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook orzo in salted boiling water. Drain and set aside.
4. Reserving marinade, cook peaches on grill for 5 - 8 minutes until soft and they have grill marks. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
5. Combine peaches, reserved marinade, orzo, parsley, spearmint, and pistachios in a bowl and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix in cheese, trying to maintain the chunks and serve.

Asparagus Salad with Ricotta Salata, Fava Beans, Mint, and Farfalle

This salad is a celebration of spring. While limes are at a price premium now, the acid really brightens this salad and the zest adds a few beautiful green flecks. If you can't find ricotta salata, the author suggests that feta is a good substitute. I remember very early in my cooking on here (before I had a full appreciation of the amazingness of fresh mint) suggesting that you could skip the mint in an orzo salad. That was just crazy talk. Don't skip the mint here! This is a quick weeknight pasta salad.

One year ago: Creamy Lamb Meatballs
Two years ago: White Chocolate and Raspberry Tartlettes
Four years ago: Tomato and Olive Penne

Asparagus Salad with Ricotta Salata, Fava Beans, Mint, and Farfalle (from Melt)

Ingredients
1 cup shelled fava beans (1 lb in the pod)
10 ounces farfalle
1 lb asparagus, woody ends broken off, cut diagonally into 1" sticks
3 tbsp avocado oil, divided (or olive)
8 ounces ricotta salata, broken into small chunks
1/4 cup mint leaves, cut into chiffonade
juice and zest of 1 lime

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the fava beans for 1 minute (or until they begin to float). Scoop out with a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, and when they cool remove the outer skin. Do NOT discard the water.
2. In the same water, cook pasta until it's al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook until asparagus is slightly blistered, 4 minutes.
4. Toss fava beans, pasta, asparagus, ricotta salata, mint, lime juice, and lime zest in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp oil and serve.

Orecchiette with Cauliflower, Anchovies, and Pistachios

This recipe comes together relatively quickly, but the anchovies add tremendous depth of flavor to the sauce. The original recipe calls for 1 head of cauliflower for a pound of pasta, but I found myself wanting more cauliflower, so I've adjusted the recipe accordingly below. Note that below is approximately a half recipe, I'd estimate it serves 4.

One year ago: Numbing-and-hot Chicken
Two years ago: Cabbage with Coconut Milk
Three years ago: West African Peanut Soup
Four years ago: Mango and Avocado Salad

Orecchiette with Cauliflower, Anchovies, and Pistachios (adapted from Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition)

Ingredients
1/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
2 oil-packed anchovies, drained, rinsed, and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces orecchiette
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spread pistachios on small baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 5 minutes. Once cool, coarsely chop.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orecchiette until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it smells nutty and is golden brown.
4. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring for a minute or two.
5. Add anchovies and garlic and cook until anchovies dissolve in butter.
6. Add chicken broth and cook until cauliflower is tender, 5 minutes.
7. Add drained cooked orecchiette, parsley, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes to cauliflower. Stir to combine.
8. Serve topped with toasted pistachios and more red pepper flakes if desired.

Orecchiette with Kale, Pancetta, and Oregano

This dish comes together in roughly the time it takes to cook the pasta. For such a quick meal, it's surprisingly satisfying.

One year ago: Lemongrass-ginger Sliders
Two years ago: Pasta and Tomato Pesto
Three years ago: Double-shot Mocha Cupcakes
Four years ago: Chocolate Souffle

Orecchiette with Kale, Pancetta, and Oregano (from The Herbal Kitchen)

Ingredients
1 bunch kale (12 ounces)
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chopped Greek oregano
kosher salt
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, wash kale, leaving the leaves wet, and chop into 1" sections, discarding the tough bottom inch of the stem.
3. Stir orecchiette into boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Drain.
4. Meanwhile, render pancetta in olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until it starts to brown.
5. Stir garlic and red pepper flakes in with pancetta, cook 30 seconds.
6. Add as much chopped kale as will fit in pan to pancetta. Toss until it wilts down and add rest of kale.
7. Ladle 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water into kale.
8. Add oregano to kale and continue to cook until kale is no longer tough, 3 - 4 minutes.
9. Add drained pasta to kale, sprinkle with cheese, toss, and serve.

Crab Poached in Scampi Butter Sauce

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... crab season! We started it off with nine precious ounces of Dungeness crab meat from our seafood box. I decided to start off by keeping things simple and highlighting the crab in a rich, scampi sauce. The whole dish comes together very quickly and easily, although the butter should be made a bit ahead of time. The good news is though that the butter can be made up to a week ahead of time. This is a restaurant quality meal that requires very little work.

Two years ago: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Three years ago: Poutine Calzones
Four years ago: Pecan Pie

Crab Poached in Scampi Butter Sauce (from Fish Without a Doubt)

Ingredients
Butter Sauce
8 large garlic cloves, cut in half
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
3 tbsp dry white wine or vermouth
Pasta
12 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 lb fresh fettuccine
chopped parsley or basil

1. Turn a food processor on and drop garlic down feed tube, then add shallot.
2. Scrape sides of bowl and add butter and Tabasco sauce.
3. Process until light and fluffy. Season with salt and white pepper. Process to combine.
4. Pack butter into small bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until firm.
5. Bring wine to simmer in small saucepan. Simmer for about 2 minutes to cook off alcohol, but not reduce.
6. Whisk in cold scampi butter about 1 tbsp at a time to make emulsified sauce. Simmer at low heat.
7. Stir crab into sauce, trying not to break up lumps, and keep warm on back of stove.
8. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente.
9. Drain pasta and diving among 4 plates. Spoon crab and sauce over pasta, top with chopped herb, and serve.

Pasta Rustica with Sole, Greek Olives, and White Wine

It's been a while since I made pasta, but this quick and easy dish got rid of a bit of fish and made good use of some last of the season tomatoes. I couldn't resist adding a bit of feta to the final dish, but it probably wasn't strictly necessary.

One year ago: Saffron Rice
Two years ago: Hot and Sour Rhubarb and Crispy Pork with Noodles
Three years ago: Brisket
Four years ago: Bread pudding

Pasta Rustica with Sole, Greek Olives, and White Wine (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
8 ounces penne rigate
3 large ripe plum tomatoes
2 large yellow tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, divided
1/3 cup slivered basil
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
12 ounces lemon sole, cut in 1/2" strips
16 pitted kalamata olives
feta (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cut all tomatoes into 1/2" pieces.
3. Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
4. Add tomatoes, wine, half the parsley, basil, lemon zest, and 1 tsp salt. Cook 3 minutes over high heat.
5. Add fish and olives. Cook until fish is just cooked through, 2 minutes.
6. Add cooked pasta to skillet, heat 2 minutes until hot.
7. Divide among 4 bowls. Garnish with remaining parsley. Top with feta if desired.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, and Lemon

It really doesn't get much easier or quicker than this dish. I'd recommend using a fresh pasta to make this one, but I'm sure it would be good even without. If you like smoked salmon or creme fraiche, definitely give this one a shot as it tastes every bit as good as you would expect.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, and Lemon (from Radically Simple)
Ingredients
8 ounces fresh fettuccine
4 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2" wide strips
8 ounces creme fraiche
6 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
grated zest of 1 large lemon

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 3 - 4 minutes, until tender. Drain.
2. Return pasta to pot. Add smoked salmon, creme fraiche, cheese, and salt. Warm for 1 minute over low heat.
3. Transfer to 4 bowls, top with chives and lemon zest, and serve.

Castellane with Ricotta and Tomato-Marsala Sauce

This is a perfect 20 minute dinner for when you haven't slept in 3 days and don't feel like cooking. Very little prep is needed, but the sauce ends up tasting like more than just canned tomatoes, especially once the ricotta melts into it.

One year ago: Cashew Lamb with a Coconut Milk Sauce
Two years ago: Mint and Scallion Soba Noodles
Three years ago: Potato Pesto Pizza

Castellane with Ricotta and Tomato-Marsala Sauce (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp dry Marsala
3 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb dried castellane or cavatelli (or penne)
1 cup fresh ricotta, room temperature
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Process tomatoes, Marsala, and garlic in food processor until very smooth.
3. Transfer tomatoes to a medium saucepan and add olive oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick, 18 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until tender. Drain.
5. Return pasta to pot and stir in 2 cups of sauce. Heat gently, stirring.
6. Transfer to bowls and top with more sauce, ricotta, and Parmesan.

Rigatoncini with Sausage, Fresh Ricotta, and Orange Zest

Fresh ricotta is a wonderful thing and it shines it this recipe with a little bit of orange zest to brighten it up. We used a nice lamb sausage from our CSA box with this and it worked beautifully. Although this recipe works great as is, I think there are two small changes that could push it over the edge into phenomenal. First, the sausage slices sometimes mean the meat gets lost in the dish. They could be cut up smaller OR even better, maybe crumbled and then you could skip the step of roasting the sausage in the oven. I also wanted a bit of green in the dish to make it more visually appealing. Next time, I would probably wilt some baby spinach on top.

One year ago: Cashew Cheese with a Bell Pepper Sauce
Two years ago: Thai-inspired Tacos
Three years ago: Vegetable Lasagna

Rigatoncini with Sausage, Fresh Ricotta, and Orange Zest (The Cheesemonger's Kitchen)

Ingredients
1 lb/455g whole Italian sweet sausages
1 lb/455g dried rigatoncini pasta
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 lb/455g fresh ricotta cheese
100g grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 oranges, for zesting

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Place sausages on a baking sheet and roast for 25 - 30 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Let sausages cool and cut into 6 pieces each.
4. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (9 - 12 minutes).
5. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add sausages along with garlic and saute over medium-high heat for 4 - 5 minutes until crisp and garlic is golden.
6. Splash in a tablespoon of the pasta water to stop garlic from cooking. Remove from heat and ricotta to sausages.
7. Drain cooked pasta and add to pan.
8. Add half of pecorino and toss well.
9. Zest oranges into pasta and toss again. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Serve with remaining pecorino.

Pasta with Bacon, Rosemary, and Very Ripe Tomatoes

I'm finally getting settled in my new city and catching up on the recipe backlog from before I left Montreal. This is a very simple recipe, so it's key that you use high quality ingredients. I wanted a little more tomato in this so I increased it to 4 medium tomatoes and was very happy that I did.

One year ago: Apple Pie Streusel Muffins
Two years ago: Veal and Tomato Ragu

Pasta with Bacon, Rosemary, and Very Ripe Tomatoes (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
8 ounces/225g pasta of your choice
3 ounces/85g bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 rosemary sprig
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt and ground pepper
2 very large tomatoes (or 3 - 4 medium), cored and chopped
balsamic vinegar (if tomatoes taste flat)

1. Cook pasta in pot of salted water.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until brown, 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate, but leave the grease in the pan.
3. Add rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Salt and pepper to taste and cook until garlic is lightly browned, 1 - 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and let sauce simmer until pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper and add vinegar if it still tastes flat.
5. Drain pasta and top with sauce. Sprinkle with bacon.

Ziti with Arugula and Jaggery

I wasn't sure about this dish after the first bite. It seemed a little too sweet, but after a few more, the flavours blended perfectly. The bitter arugula, the sweetness of the jaggery, a little bit of heat from the chiles, but most of all the fennel. This comes together easily. The original calls for finely chopped tomatoes, but I pulled out some tomato puree from the freezer. The author suggests macaroni, mostaccioli, and orecchiette could be used as pasta laternative. I used orecchiette. I forgot the parmesan I had grated and didn't miss it.

You might get slightly better results with the arugula if you wilted it directly into the sauce and pasta. Otherwise, it clumps quite badly. Original directions are included below.

Two years ago: Broccoli Spears in Garlic Sauce

Ziti with Arugula and Jaggery (from 660 Curries)

Ingredients
450g ziti pasta
450g arugula, washed, stems discarded, large leaves torn
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 - 4 dried Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
3 large tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled jaggery or firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
freshly grated parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook until fork-tender.
2. In the last minute of pasta cooking, add arugula. Drain pasta and greens and shock with cold water.
3. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and chiles. Cook until chiles blacken and seeds smell nutty, 20 - 30 seconds.
4. Stir in tomatoes and jaggery and simmer uncovered until tomatoes are warmed through, 5 minutes. Stir in salt.
5. Toss pasta and arugula into sauce and simmer until rewarmed, 3 - 5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Spaghetti with French Breakfast Radishes, Bacon, and Greens

This is a quick and easy dinner recipes that's surprisingly good. I mostly made it to use up some radishes, but I'm so glad I stumbled upon this dish. Warning, the recipe below makes two servings.

One year ago: Apricot Plum Crisp
Two years ago: Raspberry Cheesecake Pots

Spaghetti with French Breakfast Radishes, Bacon, and Greens (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
170g spaghetti
several large bunches large French breakfast radishes, greens included
4 strips bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 12 minutes until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, separate radishes from greens and slice 1/8" thick to yield 1 cup. Measure out 3 cups of packed radish greens and coarsely chop.
3. Cut bacon into 1/3" strips.
4. Cook bacon in large saute pan over high heat for 3 minutes until fat is rendered and bacon is soft.
5. Add oil, chopped radish leaves, and sliced radishes to bacon. Cook until greens wilt and radishes soften, 5 minutes.
6. Drain pasta. Add to radishes and cook 2 minutes.
7. Toss with half of cheese and coarsely cracked black pepper.
8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

Pasta with Garlic Scapes Pesto, Sugar Snap Peas, and Ricotta

I couldn't resist the first of this season's garlic scapes at Jean Talon. The pesto in this dish is excellent and with some added prosciutto (optional) and ricotta, it goes from good to fantastic.

Pasta with Garlic Scapes Pesto, Sugar Snap Peas, and Ricotta (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup cilantro or basil leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic scapes
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup olive oil
450g cavatelli or other pasta
1 tbsp butter
113g sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick
prosciutto, slivered
pepper
fresh ricotta (get the good stuff)

1. Over medium heat, toast nuts in a small, dry skillet until they start to smell nutty and turn golden, 3 minutes. Pour onto plate to cool.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine herbs, garlic scapes, cheese, and salt and process until finely chopped. Add nuts and oil and process until smooth.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta and cook until al dente.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet and add peas and pinch of salt. Saute until crisp tender, 3 minutes.
5. Turn off heat on peas and stir in prosciutto.
6. Drain pasta and toss with pesto. Top with peas and sprinkle with black pepper. Dollop spoonfuls on ricotta on top when you serve it.

Scallop Sauce with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Hot Pepper

This is a quick and easy pasta dish that's elegant enough to be a restaurant meal. If you use very tiny scallops, you don't need to cut them up.

Scallop Sauce with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Hot Pepper (from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)

Ingredients
450g fresh bay or deep sea scallops
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic chopped very fine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
chopped red chili pepper, to taste
salt
450g spaghetti pasta
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs, lightly toasted

1. Wash scallops in cold water, pat dry, and cut into pieces 3/8" thick.
2. Put olive oil and garlic in saucepan, turn heat to medium, and cook stirring until garlic is light gold.
3. Add parsley and hot pepper and stir.
4. Add scallops and pinches of salt.
5. Turn heat up to high and cook for 1.5 minutes, stirring, until scallops lose their shine and turn flat white.
6. Toss with cooked drained spaghetti, add bread crumbs, toss again, and serve.

Thunder and Lightning

Another quick and easy pasta lunch option. I was surprised when I first bit into one of the peppercorns (I forgot to crack them), but it does add a nice bit of kick (or lightning) to the dish. I'm not sure how I feel about the chickpeas in this dish. On the one hand, I love chickpeas and they make this dish a lot more filling. On the other hand, they seem a bit out of place in terms of texture in the dish. Overall, the flavour of this pasta is very satisfying though. The fact that everything comes together in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta is just a bonus.

Thunder and Lightning (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
340g dried orecchiette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas (I cook a big batch and keep them in small bags in the freezer for quick meals!) or 1 drained can
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp dried sage leaves
1 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook according to package directions and drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet. Add chickpeas and garlic and cook over high heat until chickpeas begin to pop, 4 minutes.
3. Add broth, sage, and peppercorns. Cook until broth has reduced by 1/4, 10 minutes (this went much more quickly for me!).
4. Add butter to pasta. Stir in chickpeas and broth.
5. Add half of cheese. Toss. Divide among 4 bowls and top with remaining cheese.

Warm Sesame Noodles with Ginger and Snow Peas

I made this as a quick lunch, omitting the snow peas because I didn't have them on hand. This was remarkably good. The sauce is light, peanutty with a hint of sesame. As another plus, it uses ingredients that are usually kept on hand. Best of all though, the entire thing only takes as long as it takes for you to cook the pasta.

Warm Sesame Noodles with Ginger and Snow Peas (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
225g dried linguine
170g snow peas
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 tsp Sriracha
3 tbsp julienned fresh cilantro or mint or both

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding snow peas for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, combine peanut butter, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, oil, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, Sriracha, and 2 tbsp water in a food processor. Process until very smooth.
3. Transfer pasta and snow peas to bowl. Add sauce and toss. Top with herbs and serve.

Pasta and Tomato Pesto

This recipe was recommended to me a while ago and I've been waiting for my CSA basket to provide some delicious fresh tomatoes so I could make this. The basket finally decided to cooperate with some tomatoes that were entirely too good for early January. I made this dish on a seasonally completely inappropriate day. It was good. Even better, it comes together ridiculously fast. (As in the boy was confused that dinner was already ready.)

One year ago: Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Muffins
Two years ago: Tomatillo Sauce

Pasta and Tomato Pesto (from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients
1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (or 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes)
Table salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.
2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.
4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Fettuccine with Tahina, Pine Nuts, and Cilantro

Another quick and easy recipe that tasted surprisingly good. We both thought it was missing a little something ... maybe lemon? Or next time we'll try it with ground lamb and some Middle Eastern spices? The full recipe below serves 4.

One year ago: Poutine Calzones
Two years ago: Buttermilk Biscuits

Fettuccine with Tahina, Pine Nuts, and Cilantro (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
6 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp tahina
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
12 ounces fresh fettuccine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
6 tbsp torn cilantro leaves

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts in a small skillet.
3. In a large bowl, stir together tahina and oil. Add garlic.
4. Add pasta to bowl and toss well.
5. Add cheese and 1/2 cup pasta water and toss until creamy.
6. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and cilantro.