NOTHING INTERFERES WITH A PASTA DINNER 7-20

The day began with quiet hope and anticipation. My spirits were good and I looked forward to having a special dinner waiting for Patience when she returned from work. Around 9 AM I placed a sweet potato in the microwave for Mama Pajama’s dinner, and set it for 5.5 minutes…oops…pushed the wrong button and re-set it. A few minutes later I decided on a quick trip to the Library, put the dogs “away” and headed out.

I was gone no more than 30 minutes, and when I returned I walked into a house full of smoke. I ran to the basement door convinced our ailing sub pump was responsible but there was no smoke there. I let the dogs out…they seemed impervious to the smoke…and ran upstairs…no smoke there, and went back to the dog room realizing this is where it was most intense.

You guessed it…I must have set the microwave for 55 minutes, not 5.5…and when I opened the door I saw a totally charred potato. The microwave burned itself out before any other damage could occur. What a stinking mess!

I opened the doors, set fans in the doorways, turned of the ac and wondered if I could get rid of everything before P came home. I don’t think so. The fans have been running for almost 1 ½ hours and things are much better…but not normal.

Now it would be easy to cancel my dinner plans and order out, given the circumstances, and a lesser man than me might do that...but not me. The tiger in me won’t allow it and pasta will prevail!

Tonight I will be acting on Patience’s suggestion on how to use the corn and the potatoes that are accumulating in our fridge.



INGREDIENTS:

Fresh corn, cooked and removed from the cob
New potatoes, diced into small pieces
Fresh sage, parsley, and thyme
Kohlrabi
Garlic, onions
Heavy cream
Tomato paste
Pancetta
Butter

PROCESS:

Cook the potatoes in olive oil until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain. Cook the garlic, onions, pancetta, and diced kohlrabi in olive oil with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Then add the corn, herbs, and butter and simmer for 5-10 minutes before adding the potatoes. Add the cream while the pasta is cooking. Mix the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and serve.



COMMENTS:

Tonight I used pasta that I have never seen before, and it was perfect for this dish. Like all pasta dishes, there are so many variations that can be explored. How about replacing the potatoes with fresh crabmeat?!