Basic Basil Pesto
July 10, 2006 by Andrea 
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Filed under Italian foods, Pasta, Sauces & Marinades
At the risk of jinxing things, I have to say that our garden is really doing well this year. We have tons of tomatoes that will be ready for picking next week. The herbs are going crazy. The Italian parsley and the dill are about three feet tall with lots of leaves, the oregano and sage are threatening to take over, and the basil is getting taller and bushier. If I can just keep the june bugs from devouring all of those tasty basil leaves, then we’ll have a bumper crop this year.
Michael and I grow lots of basil each year. Throughout the summer we cut the leaves and use them in pesto, other pasta sauces, or as a layer in lasagna. Even with frequent use, we often have many plants left over at the end of the season. So we cut them all down and spend an afternoon making pesto and freezing it. You can freeze small blocks of it in ice cube trays Read more
Cold Sesame Bean Threads
June 1, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Pasta, Salads
We love noodles cooked just about any way, and I find that that noodle dishes are a great way to get my boys to eat their vegetables. This is a dish that I find particularly refreshing in the summertime. I can walk in the door after a hot morning outdoors with the kids, pull this out of the frig for lunch, and it will absolutely hit the spot.
There are many different variations on cold sesame noodles, and this is just one of several that we like. I prefer to use bean threads for a more Asian touch, although you can certainly use thin spaghetti. The chopped peanuts lend a nice crunch, and the edamame adds a vegetarian protein boost so that you can actually make a meal out of this. I like to squeeze a little bit of lime juice Read more
Marinara Sauce
March 26, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Italian foods, Pasta, Sauces & Marinades
Marinara is a very easy sauce that only requires a few ingredients. You can make a winter version following this recipe, or you can make a summer version using peeled fresh tomatoes and fresh basil in season. It makes a pretty dish when you use the sauce as a bottom layer and put some ravioli on top garnished with some parmegiano reggiano and some parsley. We also like it with tortellini or gnocchi.
This recipe makes a large batch, so you can freeze the extra in 32 ounce containers and pull one out for a quick mid-week meal.
Equipment
6 quart pot with heavy bottom
sharp knife Read more
Pasta Primavera
March 19, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Italian foods, Pasta, Vegetables
All the prep work on my summer garden has me fixated on vegetable dishes. As I scooped more seeds from bell peppers and eggplant today, my mind drifted towards a pasta primavera for dinner. I love this dish in the summertime with fresh peppers and eggplant. You can adapt the dish based on whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand.
[Updated July 30, 2008]
Equipment
sharp knife
8 quart pot
6 quart pot Read more
Pasta Pomodoro
March 14, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Italian foods, Pasta
I started my garden planning yesterday. I scooped seeds out of a few beautiful red, yellow, and green bell peppers and a few roma tomatoes and laid those out to dry for starting in a day or two. My three-year-old son helped me seed some flats with herbs and water them. And I’m going to pick up an eggplant and some grape tomatoes soon and save the seeds from those for planting.
All this garden prep makes me think of fresh tomatoes in my summer garden, which also makes me think of my favorite pasta dish. The flavor of fresh tomatoes sauteed with garlic and olive oil and tossed with basil chiffonade is one of my favorites from summer. It’s not summer yet, but I found a good deal on some nice roma tomatoes at the market yesterday, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make this dish. Read more
Pasta Thing
March 7, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Pasta
The first time my future husband made this dish for me, I asked him what it was called and he said, “It’s just a pasta thing.” The Pasta Thing can be anything you want it to be … the recipe varies based on whatever we happen to have in the pantry. We alternate between an Italian or Mexican version.
Equipment
4 quart sauce pan
8 quart pot
9×13-inch baking dish, lightly coated with cooking spray Read more
