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My Italian grandmother was a great cook. It was instinctual with her – no recipes or measurements – just a native knack for putting great stuff together. We had dinner at her house almost every Sunday when we were growing up. You could count on a small antipasto of salami and cheese, then a steaming bowl of ziti with her fabulous tomato sauce, topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese sometimes, and always sprinkled with fresh parmesan. Her meatballs were legendary and could never be imitated. Dinner would end with cannolis (from the bakery across the street) and what they used to refer to as “black coffee”, espresso actually, from the well used espresso pot that was always on the stove.
Today, pasta is a real staple in our house. How many times have I come home from work, paralyzed with exhaustion and facing “what’s for dinner”? I am reminded now about how many times I fall back on a pasta dinner. It is quick, easy, nourishing, comforting, economical, and with so many possibilities for toppings and sauces, it is never boring.
My little trick is to cook the pasta first and toss it with a bit of olive oil in the colander to keep it from sticking. That gives me a chance to nurse a glass of wine before putting dinner together. My daughter refers to this as my version of “cooking with wine”.
Start with your pasta of choice, around 8 or 12 ounces of it depending on the number expected for dinner, cooked al dente and tossed with a bit of olive oil. Also, it is a good idea to reserve half a cup or so of the pasta water to moisten the final dish if necessary. A salad, good bread and a glass of wine and dinner is ready.
Following are several of our favorite pasta companions:
Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon and Olives
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
Bread crumbs, either home made or store bought, flavored or not
1 tablespoon more or less olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley – save a bit for sprinkling on top
3 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives
2 cans (6 oz each) chunk light tuna in olive oil
In saute pan or the same pot in which you cooked the pasta, mix lemon zest and juice, parsley, olives and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add tuna, and mix in cooked pasta.
If mixture seems dry, add some of the pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss ingredients until piping hot, transfer to serving plate and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and fresh chopped parsley.
Lemon Spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
1 tablepoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Again, be sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the lemon juice and the reserved liquid. Season with the salt and pepper, transfer to serving dish and sprinkle cheese over top, garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil. This is a great, light, summertime dish, ready in no time.
Spaghetti with Bacon and Eggs
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and broken into pieces.
1 or 2 eggs per person
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (about 3 oz)
In the same skillet in which you cooked the bacon, wipe excess fat and crack the eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, approx 3 or 4 minutes. Toss the pasta with the bacon, ½ cup of the Parmesan, salt and pepper and the reserved pasta water. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. In this case, the pasta should be hot and ready to toss when the eggs are ready.
Linguine with Pesto and Eggs
1 cup of basil pesto, either from a jar or home made
(I like Classico for the jarred variety)
2 eggs per person
In a large sauté pan, heat the pesto with approx 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in your pasta and when it is heated through, crack the eggs on top of the pasta. Run a wooden spoon through the mixture until the eggs reach desired doneness. Serve immediately right from the pan.
Linguine with Shrimp
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Juice of two lemons (approx 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup dry white wine
Cracked black pepper for topping
1/2 pound medium shrimp (approx 1/2 lb shrimp to 1/2 pound pasta)
In large skillet, heat olive oil with garlic. Add the shrimp and as soon as it start to turn pink, add the lemon juice and white wine. Immediately toss in the pasta until heated through and shrimp is pink. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with zest and parsley. Finish with freshly ground black pepper. It is important that the shrimp not be overcooked, it is ready almost as soon as it turns pink.
Pasta with Tomatoes and Olives
1/4 cup olive oil
Chopped fresh tomatoes of any variety – plum, grape, beefsteak,
anything you have around.
Approx half cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 clove garlic,minced
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley or fresh basil or both
In a large skillet sauté the garlic and shallot until soft, but not browned. Add the tomatoes and olives and toss in the pasta until thoroughly heated. Top with parsley and basil. Done.
Pasta with Zucchini and Goat Cheese
This recipe is a favorite standby of my daughter, Julie. She likes it best with angel hair pasta.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb zucchini sliced into thin half moons
1 – 2 cloves garlic chopped
5 ounces fresh goat cheese
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Heat the olive oil in big skillet and brown the zucchini. Add chopped garlic right before it is done and season with salt and pepper. Add about 4 oz of the crumbled goat cheese to the pasta in the pot along with enough cooking liquid tomake the cheese turn into sauce and coat the pasta. Reserve some cheese for topping. Serve the pasta topped with the zucchini and crumbled goat cheese. Top with lemon zest.
Deirdre is a culinary enthusiast who enjoys traveling, gardening, and needless to say works wonders in the kitchen. Deirdre, a native New Yorker, now resides in Ambler with her husband John, and can often be found entertaining family and friends. We hope you will enjoy her seven savory pasta recipes that are truly delicious and easy enough to prepare on a busy weeknight.
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