4 to 6 servings
The secret ingredient in this dish is the garlicky croutons. I buy good-quality prepackaged garlic croutons from a local bakery and keep them in my pantry for emergencies (I also have been known to snack on them from time to time). You can certainly make them from scratch, but in this dish, it’s fine to substitute store-bought if you have a good source. I love the almondy and garlicky flavor the crumbs give the pasta.
1 pound rigatoni (large, ridged tubular pasta)
3 cups purchased garlic-flavored croutons (about 5 ounces)
1 cup julienned roasted red bell peppers
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
Place the croutons and the almonds in a food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped, with the texture of bread crumbs. Add the crouton-and-almond mixture to the hot pasta along with the peppers and the olive oil. Toss to combine. Serve.
4 to 6 servings
I love the intensely sweet, chewy flavor of sun-dried tomatoes, and mixed with tomato paste they create a sauce with a very concentrated flavor that doesn’t require the long cooking of a traditional tomato sauce. Softened with a bit of goat cheese, this is a creamy sauce that just barely coats the pasta without weighing it down.
1 (10-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped (oil reserved)
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound angel hair pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta and parsley to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding some of the reserved pasta water to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in bowls, sprinkle with the goat cheese, and serve.
6:
quick and easy weeknight pastas
If you’re like me (and most people) this is the chapter you will rely on the most. No matter how busy we become, we all want to serve meals every night that are fast and easy but still nutritious and pleasing to the eyes and palate. From Little Stars with Butter and Parmesan, a meal so simple the kids can make it for
you,
to Farfalle with Broccoli, which is full of flavor and packs a healthy dose of greens, these are all family-tested favorites that will become part of your weekly repertoire in short order. The key to weeknight pastas is a well-stocked pantry (see
the introduction
for my recommendations on what you should keep on hand). If you’ve got a variety of pasta shapes and sizes on hand, plus some canned tomatoes, olive oil, nuts, anchovies, fresh cheese, and herbs, you’re never very far away from a well-balanced and completely satisfying meal. If you have a little more time on the weekend, you can make a big pot of marinara or an extra batch of turkey meatballs or pesto to freeze and make weeknight cooking even easier; otherwise, go ahead and use a good-quality jarred marinara or prepared pesto and take pride in the fact that what you are putting on the table is fresh, healthful, and (mostly) homemade.
4 to 6 servings
Both the presentation and flavor of this subtle dish are quite elegant, so while it’s easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, you can certainly serve it to company.
1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
Pinch of salt, plus ½ teaspoon
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus ¼ teaspoon
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken breast with the herbes de Provence and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off any excess oil from the pan. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cream, lemon zest, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the pasta, chicken, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta and chicken with the sauce and serve.
4 (½-cup) servings
When I was very young, this was my staple dinner; it’s an Italian child’s comfort food, our version of mac and cheese. It’s really easy to make and the ingredients are very simple, which is part of its charm. Serve it to the child in your life, or as a side dish with any kind of roast meat or poultry.
1 cup (6 ounces) stelline (star-shaped pasta) or other small pasta shapes such as alphabets or riso
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 8 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, toss the freshly cooked hot pasta with 2 tablespoons of the cheese until the cheese coats the pasta completely. Add the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Toss again to coat. Season to taste with salt. Spoon the pasta into small serving bowls and serve immediately.
