Ina Garten’s Summer Garden Pasta

Please make this simple dish with your summer tomatoes and backyard basil! Easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. It is essentially classic bruschetta over pasta.

The recipe was adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home, via barefootcontessa.com. I have made dishes like this in the past but used fresh mozzarella instead of Parmesan. I loved this variation. 🙂

We ate the dish with sliced sourdough baguette and green salad- garlicky and perfect.

Yield: Serves 6

• 4 pints (8 cups) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 to 12 cloves garlic, minced
• 18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound capellini or angel hair pasta
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Combine the halved tomatoes, 1/2 cup (8 T) olive oil, minced garlic, julienned basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and the pepper in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
2. Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt.
3. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful – it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!).
4. Drain the pasta- reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes.
5. Add the cheese and some additional fresh basil leaves and toss well. (I julienned the basil leaves.) Add pasta water to adjust the consistency, if necessary. (I also use the pasta water before reheating leftovers.)
6. Transfer to a serving dish in layers- ensuring that ample amounts of basil and tomatoes are placed between layers of cheesy pasta.
7. Garnish with extra cheese and basil, as desired. Serve immediately.

Dirt Candy’s Zucchini & Pasta Noodles with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce

I celebrated a milestone birthday earlier this summer. Part of my birthday celebration was inspired by this dish. 🙂

The James Beard-nominated chef and owner of Dirt Candy in NYC, Amanda Cohen, was featured on Sara Moulton’s PBS series. She prepared a cocktail along with this zucchini dish from her menu. Dirt Candy is a very unique vegetarian restaurant and I knew the only way I could get my entire family to dine there was for a birthday meal. We went for a birthday brunch celebration and then spent the day enjoying NYC.

Cohen explained that although she is not a vegetarian, she feels that a chef can be much more innovative when creating dishes without being limited by simply pairing sides with a protein. The brunch menu included a mushroom coffee cake on our visit. My son ate the whole thing! Our favorite dish was the Brussels sprout tacos, served with lettuce wraps and a platter of small bowls of topping choices. Delicious. We finished our meal with cucumber sorbet topped with a birthday candle. 🙂

The zucchini pasta recipe was adapted from Sara Moulton.com. I modified the proportions and the method. The saffron made the dish exceptional. I also made homemade Greek yogurt labneh to incorporate into the dish. The labneh recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit via epicurious.com, contributed by Tom Scherlitz.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

To Make Greek Yogurt Labneh: (Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

• 2 cups plain 2% Greek yogurt
• cheesecloth

1. Line a large sieve with cheesecloth; set over a medium deep bowl.
2. Place yogurt in sieve. Gather edges of cheesecloth to cover yogurt. Place in refrigerator and let drain for 2-3 days. (I let it drain for 48 hours.
3. Gently squeeze out any excess liquid; discard liquid in bowl (yogurt will be very thick and resemble soft goat cheese).

For the Zucchini Pasta Dish:

• 2 to 3 medium zucchini or 4 cups baby zucchini (I used 2 1/2 medium zucchini)
• 6 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
• pinch of saffron
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups labneh, recipe above
• 1 to 2 pounds zucchini spiral noodles
• 8 to 12 oz angel hair pasta
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/4 cup chiffonade basil or mint
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup squash blossoms sliced thinly, optional
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. If using medium zucchini, slice in half and then into 1/4″ half moons. If using the baby zucchini , cut into rounds.
2. Toss the cut zucchini with 4 T of the olive oil.
3. Grill over high heat until the zucchini has developed char marks, about 3-4 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, cook the angel hair pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.
5. In a pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 T of olive oil, saffron and the garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute, turn the heat to low and add the labneh and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
6. Stir slowly, incorporating everything together.
7. Toss the sauce with the zucchini noodles, the angel hair pasta, the herbs, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest.
8. Adjust seasonings and then divide between 4 bowls.
9. Sprinkle each bowl with the squash blossom ribbons, if using, as well as minced herbs, as desired.

Bucatini with Burst Cherry Tomatoes & Basil

My kids are back in school! I can get back to sharing dishes that we enjoyed this summer (and probably last spring as well). I have quite a few to share. 🙂

This is a fabulous, restaurant-indulgent, late summer pasta dish. The real beauty of it is that it could be made in any season to bring back the taste of summer. It was also quick and easy to prepare- the best combination. The cheese adds creaminess to the finished dish but can easily be omitted for a vegan version.

This recipe was adapted from Bringing it Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating by Gail Simmons with Mindy Fox. I used grape instead of cherry tomatoes, bucatini instead of spaghettini, and modified the proportions. I am definitely going to make this dish year round. Great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound bucatini, spaghettini, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 small red onion or 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 pounds (about 3 pints) grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed torn basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2-4 T finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
• freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
• coarsely ground black pepper

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. (Simmons recommends 2 T of kosher or fine sea salt in 4 quarts of water.)
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet or wide, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the red pepper flakes, then stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain the pasta.
6. Add the pasta, along with the reserved pasta cooking water, to the pan with the sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the pasta is coated, about 30 seconds, then stir in the basil and parsley.
7. Divide the pasta among serving plates. Dollop with the ricotta and sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve immediately.

Vegetarian Harira

This is a vegetarian version of Harira, a traditional, savory Moroccan soup. It is incredibly full-flavored- loaded with spices and legumes.

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. I added fresh lemon juice, used canned San Marzano tomatoes, dried garbanzo beans, and increased the amount of garlic. Tanis recommends serving the soup the day after it is prepared in order to allow the flavors to meld.

We ate it with warm naan and green salad. It was hearty, healthy, filling, and delicious.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced, about 2 cups
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon crumbled saffron
• 1 (3-inch) piece cinnamon stick or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups diced ripe tomato, fresh or canned (I used 2 28-oz cans San Marzano tomatoes, drained)
• 2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
• coarse salt
• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup peeled dried fava beans or 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• ¼ pound angel hair pasta or vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
• juice of 1 lemon
• lemon wedges, for serving

1. Put olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, saffron and cinnamon. Cook for about 2 minutes more.
4. Add tomatoes, celery leaves and cilantro and bring to a brisk simmer.
5. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, until mixture thickens somewhat, then add 1 teaspoon salt, the brown lentils, red lentils and dried faves or soaked chickpeas.
6. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, covered with the lid ajar.
7. Let soup simmer for 30 minutes, then taste broth and adjust salt.
8. Cook for 1 hour more at a gentle simmer, until the legumes are soft and creamy. It may be necessary to add more liquid from time to time to keep soup from being too porridge-like. It should be on the thick side, but with a pourable consistency. (With every addition of water, taste and adjust for salt.)
9. Just before serving, add pasta and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Add fresh lemon juice.
11. Ladle soup into small bowls and pass lemon wedges for squeezing, as desired.

Note: The soup may be made in advance and refrigerated. (This is recommended!) If it thickens, thin with water or broth when reheating, and adjust the salt.

One Year Ago:

• Stuffed Poblano Casserole

Two Years Ago:

• Salmon with French Lentils & Mustard-Herb Butter

Three Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Potato-Spinach Gnocchi with Kale-Walnut Pesto

Four Years Ago:

• Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas), New Delhi-Style
• Minestrone