Summer Pasta

These hot days of August are enough to make even the most passionate cook want to stay away from the kitchen.  When I find myself needing a simple, quick and delicious meal to put together because it's just too hot to spend a lot of time by the stove, I will often turn to pasta.  Sure, you have to boil water.  But that's literally the only heat that gets applied to this meal!  Once the pasta is cooked, your time near the stove is over (hooray!).  The warmth of the cooked pasta gently heats the zucchini and the rest of the ingredients get added after the pasta has cooled so they maintain their bright, raw flavors.

I used Maestri Pastai's Cavatelli pasta for this dish, but any small-shaped pasta such as macaroni, farfalle, or penne will do.  If you can't find mozzarella pearls (the smallest-size, fresh mozzarella balls can be found at Marczyk's in Denver and most Whole Foods markets) you can always dice up the larger versions.  Either way, be sure to add the cheese when the pasta is only slightly warm to the touch so it doesn't immediately melt and form your pasta dish into an unappealing cheese glob.  To turn this pasta into a meal, I topped it with a fried egg.  It would also be delicious with just about any added protein such as cannelini beans, chicken, or shrimp. 

Summer Pasta
serves 4

1 lb. Cavatelli Pasta
2 cups zucchini, grated (about 3-4 small zucchini)
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (about 1 pint)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 T basil, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup Mozzarella pearls
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta.  Cook according to package instructions, drain, and place in a large bowl.  Place grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt.  Toss well and squeeze the zucchini gently, allowing the moisture to drain.  While pasta is still hot, toss with grated zucchini.  Set aside.

Once pasta has cooled, slightly, to just warm, add tomatoes, parsley, basil, lemon juice and olive oil and toss well to combine.  Season with salt and pepper and add a little extra olive oil if necessary.

When pasta is only a little warm to the touch, add mozzarella and toss well to combine.  Serve with the parmigiano reggiano sprinkled on the top.

Spring Has Sprung Pasta and Pesto, Part Deux

Fiddleheads, watercress, ramps, yes, please!  You know that Spring has finally arrived when you see those ridiculously cute little buggers otherwise known as fiddleheads in the produce section.  And, Oh!  Ramps!  With their pungent garlic flavor and their gorgeous, bright green leaves, they are so well-suited for pesto, it's stupid!

Pesto really is one of Italy's greatest culinary gifts to the world.  The uses for it are quite possibly endless, it's incredibly simple to make, and it makes any pasta dish taste downright sexy!  I love to create unusual pestos using somewhat unexpected ingredients and watercress definitely fits the bill.  I've seen a lot of recipes for ramp pesto that I've found quite pleasing, but I wanted to create something sweeter and gentler - consider it a "Thinking Man's" pesto, if you will.  The subtle hint of mint with the sharp, spicy taste of ramps become absolutely elegant mixed with the sweet, refreshing, and peppery taste of watercress.  Use it in the pasta recipe below, spread it on your toast with a little ricotta cheese, thin it with extra olive oil and lemon juice to make a dynamite dressing, or come up with your own fabulous way to enjoy it!

Spring Has Sprung Pasta and Pesto, Part Deux
serves 6

 Pasta:
1 lb. Pasta (any kind will do!  I used whole-wheat spaghetti)
1 1/2 cups fiddleheads, rinsed
10 oz (1 package) frozen peas
1 1/2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

Pesto:
1 bunch (5-7 stalks) ramps
1 bunch watercress leaves (about 4 cups), rinsed well
1 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.  When pasta is about 2 minutes from being done (still crunchy in the middle but pliable in texture) add the fiddleheads to the boiling water.  Cook for a minute and a half or so, then add the frozen peas.  Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, then drain. 

Meanwhile, assemble the pesto.  In a food processor, add ramps, watercress, mint and pine nuts.  Pulse a few times and then set the processor to "on".  Slowly drizzle enough olive oil for the pesto to be slightly moist and hold together.  When pesto is blended, add cheese, salt and pepper and mix to combine.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss about 1 cup of pesto (or more, if desired), butter, and pasta together until the butter is melted.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top (and a poached egg, if that's how you roll). 

Chickpea Meatballs

There are a seemingly infinite number of vegetarian "meat"ball recipes out there.  What I like about this one is, it is made with mostly pantry staples (which makes it cheap!), it has lots of flavor, and it's quick and easy to put together.  The extra bonus?  They're good for you!  I made a quick and simple tomato sauce by caramelizing a few sliced shallots in some butter and pureeing it together with a can of diced San Marzano tomatoes and a little salt and tossed it with some whole wheat penne pasta. 

I always have a lot of dried beans on hand, so I used my pressure cooker to cook dried chickpeas (1 cup yields about 2 cups cooked), but canned ones would work just as well.  For those of you who don't have a pressure cooker, especially those who are frequent legume consumers, I would highly recommend the investment.  Not only will it eventually save you money (dried beans in the bulk section of any supermarket are way cheaper than canned beans and even packaged dried beans) but it also makes quick work out of any traditionally slow-cooked dish.


Chickpea Meatballs
makes about 16 balls

1 cup oats
1 roasted red pepper
3 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp cumin
3 T olive oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add oats to a food processor and pulse until ground into a coarse flour.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine into a slightly chunky puree. 

Place breadcrumbs on a medium-sized plate.  Form chickpea mixture into two-inch balls and then roll the balls in the breadcrumbs.  Arrange on a baking sheet and bake, flipping once, for about 30 minutes or until golden in color and firm.  Serve with pasta and tomato sauce or atop a simple salad.

Spaghetti with White Bean Sauce and Crispy Kale

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet" (an excellent cookbook for Vegans and Veggie lovers alike).  I make it with whole wheat spaghetti (though any wholesome pasta variety will do) and throw in lots of luscious, green kale for good measure.  The pureed beans have a slightly creamy texture which makes the sauce taste rich without adding any cream, cheese or butter. 

The other marvelous thing about this recipe is, it's cheap to make!  I buy dried white beans in bulk.  They are less convenient to use, but you save a lot of money versus buying cooked beans in a can (not to mention there's far less packaging involved, so it is better for the environment).  I also think dried beans taste a little better since canned beans tend to have that slightly "tinny" flavor.  Don't bother soaking beans overnight, especially if you have a pressure cooker.  Many people might tell you otherwise, but I literally never pre-soak my beans (and, BTW, Rick Bayless also recommends skipping this step!) because I try to eliminate uneccessarily time-consuming steps whenever possible.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, I would strongly recommend buying one.  It will be your new favorite cooking instrument!

Spaghetti with White Bean Sauce and Crispy Kale
Serves 6

3 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked white beans
2 T chopped sage
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 cups vegetable stock or water
2 T white balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
6 cups chopped kale, stems removed
salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss kale with 1 T olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.  Arrange on a large baking sheet in a single layer, then bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil.  In a large saucepan, heat the rest of the olive oil on medium.  Add onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add beans and sage and stir to combine.  Add stock, turn up heat to high and bring mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly.  Reduce heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth.  Keep heat on low and allow to thicken until it reaches desired consistency, at least 10 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in pot of boiling water according to package instructions.  Drain in a colander and add to pot of bean sauce.  Add balsamic vinegar and toss well.  Serve spaghetti with a handful or crispy kale on top.