10-31…THE PASTA QUEST AT 6 MONTHS

I began this pasta marathon six months ago. One hundred and twenty pasta meals and 5 pounds later, it is time to stop and take stock of what we’ve done.

My goals were: 1. To show how delicious pasta dishes could be prepared with simple local fresh, and supermarket ingredients, and 2. To demonstrate the infinite ways pasta can be prepared. I think I’ve done a pretty good job in meeting both goals. But if I am to continue this for the full year as planned I will have to make some concessions. It is becoming increasingly difficult to prepare a different dish each night I cook without a great deal of planning and preparation requiring more and more of my time. Since I have every intention of continuing this for the next six months, and since it is supposed to be fun, and not something to stress over, I’ve decided on the following:

I will continue to cook pasta every night we eat at home, and endeavor to present 2-3 new dishes every week, and to the extent possible, I’ll introduce a few variations in the repeat dishes.

Now to the good part…

LINGUINE WITH BROCCOLI, LEMON, AND FRESH HERBS



INGREDIENTS:

Linguine
Olive oil
Garlic, chopped or finely sliced
Red pepper flakes
Lemon juice and/or zest
Fresh oregano chopped
Broccoli
Bacon, chopped

PROCESS:

Cook the bacon and remove from pan and discard the fat. Or, cook the bacon in the microwave and set aside.

Place the pasta in the boiling pasta water. About 5-6 minutes before you expect the pasta to be ready…al dente…don’t over cook…sauté the garlic and broccoli in the olive oil with the Oregano and red pepper flakes. When the pasta is done add it to the pan, along with some of the pasta water, and mix well. Add the lemon juice or zest and mix. Sprinkle with bacon and Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.

COMMENTS:

Very good! I finally managed not to overcook the broccoli, and by not adding the lemon until the end the broccoli remained nice an green.