Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

So a newsletter from Everyday Food magazine came into my inbox today. I've actually been trying to unsubscribe unsuccessfully for a while because I've been so bored of them. But it worked out this afternoon because I didn't put any thought into what I wanted to make for dinner, and when I saw this recipe I was glad as I had all the ingredients on hand! Well, I used the cassarecce I still have (see previous post) and sundried tomato in oil, which works just fine. I added a lot more red pepper flakes too cuz I like it hot! It's really good and super quick to make. And on a day like today when it's pouring non-stop, it hits the spot.

12 ounces rigatoni, penne, or other short tubular pasta
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), thinly sliced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
5 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled, plus more for topping (optional)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions. Add sun-dried tomatoes, and cook 3 minutes. Remove 2 cups pasta water; reserve. Drain and return pasta mixture to pot.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve. Return skillet to medium heat; add oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

To pasta mixture in pot, add garlic mixture, reserved pasta water, cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Let stand until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Divide pasta among four shallow dishes; sprinkle with almonds and, if desired, additional cheese.

Serves 4.

Creamy Wild Mushroom Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

I found a new (to me) pasta shape at the store the other day, casarecce, and knew it would be the type that sauces cling to really well, so I ended up making this creamy (but light) mushroom pasta (courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, with my modifications) with asparagus and goat cheese. It was satisfying!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme
16 oz assorted wild mushrooms, sliced (I bought a pack of enoki, crimini, oyster, portabello and button mushrooms)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup evaporated milk (or heavy cream if you'd rather go all the way)
1 pound casarecce
12 stalks asparagus (trimmed, cut into 1.5-inch pieces, and steamed for 10 mins)
Goat cheese

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil.

In a large saute pan, over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute, just until beginning to turn translucent. Add the thyme and saute 1 more minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown and release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and reduce 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and reduce about 5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and quickly toss with mushroom sauce and steamed asparagus. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Serves 4.

Coconut Spice Pancakes

Wow. Best pancakes I ever had. I adapted the recipe from La Dolce Vegan and was so happy with the results. Especially loved the texture of the coconut when you bite into the pancakes. Why settle for plain pancakes when you can sweetly spice it up?

3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup fancy shredded coconut, sweetened
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 banana

In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, coconut, cardamom, ginger and salt. In a blender (I used a blender stick) combine the milks and banana, and blend until smooth. Pour into flour mixture and whisk gently until just mixed. Heat to medium and lightly oil a non-stick frying pan. Pour out batter in 1/4 cup portions (for cute mini pancakes). Flip when edges start to get golden brown and the batter settles a little and looks study enough to flip. Cook until other side gets golden. Lower the heat a little and cook the rest of the pancakes, adding a teaspoon of oil before cooking each.

Stack and drizzle with honey or your favourite syrup.

Makes 8-10 mini pancakes.

Goan Prawn & Okra Curry

Here's another delicious curry from the family cookbook.

½ kg prawns (shelled and de-veined)
300g whole okra
½ fresh coconut (or 1/2 can of coconut milk)
6 kashmiri chilies (dried red)
½ tsp cumin powder or whole
¼ tsp peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander powder or whole
1½ tsp turmeric powder
½” piece ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp tamarind
1 large onion, chopped
salt to taste


In a food processor, finely grind the coconut (if using powder), chillies, cumin, pepper, coriander, ginger, garlic and tamarind. Add turmeric.

Heat 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Fry the onion until brown. Next add the ground masala and fry well. Add prawns and okra at this stage. (Add coconut milk if using at this stage.) Cover with just enough water and cook until prawns are done. Season to taste.

Serve with basmati rice.

Serves 6.

Green Olive Tapenade

If the sight or smell of olives is something you find revolting, now would be a good time to look away.

I had a jar of manzanilla olives I bought on a whim a couple months ago sitting in the back of my fridge. A quick Google led me to a recipe on Epicurious (which I altered the method for), and I spread some green olive tapenade on a slice of toast not 15 minutes later!

If you like tang, this is a good one. I can't wait to try it in a sandwich with meat (but will have to wait for two weeks until I'm eating meat again).

1 1/4 cups pitted manzanilla olives or other green Spanish olives, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
A handful of fresh cilantro
freshly cracked pepper

First toss the garlic clove into the processor and give it a quick blitz until it's chopped. Then add the lemon juice and cilantro and pulse it for a few seconds. Then add the olives and capers, along with the oil and pulse until it's a nice consistency but not too mushy. Season with freshly cracked pepper and jar + refrigerate it!

Makes about 1 cup.

ELS' Miso Braised Fish

This is one of the best dishes I've had in a long time, thanks to Everybody Likes Sandwiches. As soon as I saw the post I knew I wanted to make it. It truly tastes as good as it looks, maybe even better. I used basa instead of cod, as that's what the store had on special. Since I had green vegetable noodles I used those instead of soba, and cut out the peas in favour of some green and yellow beans. Hot fish on cold noodles -- me likey!

Get the recipe here.

Butternut Squash & Mushroom Lasagna

I had a litre of butternut squash pasta sauce in my freezer, and was feeling the need to use it as it had been sitting there for a couple of months. Having the sauce ready is what makes this recipe a lot easier to pull together last minute. I made it in one hour, and that includes 45 minutes of baking time! The day before I'd been wondering what goes well with butternut squash, knowing that I wanted to make a lasagna and needed one other main ingredient. After pondering many ingredients and trying to imagine what they'd taste like in the lasagna, I finally settled on mushrooms. At the grocery store I got 2 packets of chopped white button mushrooms and it turned out beautifully. A new vegetarian favourite!

1 litre butternut squash pasta sauce. See recipe here.
1 onion chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
4-5 cups sliced white button mushrooms
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1 - 1.5 cups of milk
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
s&p to taste
no-boil (oven ready) lasagna sheets
large slices jack/cheddar cheese (I used sharp white cheddar)
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until just soft. Add in the thyme and the mushrooms. I cooked down one pack of mushrooms and then added the second. The quantity of mushrooms does reduce substantially when cooked. Season to taste and cook until the mushrooms are browned and the water in them is extracted and mostly evaporated. Set aside.

Now we make the bechamel sauce. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, whisking to minimize lumps. Add the milk and continue whisking. Keep adjusting flour and milk quantities until a creamy consistency is reached. Add the nutmeg and season with s&p. Take off the heat.

Layer the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with lasagna noodles. Spread half the butternut squash sauce on top of the noodles. Top with a thin layer of bechamel sauce. Spread half the mushrooms on top of that. Add a layer of jack/cheddar slices. Repeat the layers. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.

Serves 6.

Fresh out of the oven

Yam & Pepita Quesadilla

I realized I haven't as yet posted one of my all-time favourite go-to recipes: the yam and pepita quesadilla (with honey-chipotle sauce and Jack cheese). It's from my best cookbook, Rebar, and it's the best damn quesadilla I ever had. I know, I've mentioned Rebar so many times you'd think I was being paid or something. I'm really not; it's just a cookbook I've never failed with so I swear by it. And yes, I bought my own copy and highly recommend it. Plus I love that it's local! Go BC!

2 large yams
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 whole wheat tortillas
1/3 cup honey-chipotle sauce (see below)

Preheat oven to 375F. Peel the yams and quarter them lengthwise. Slice each quarter into 1/2" thick pieces. In a small bowl, toss the yams with oil and salt. Spread them out on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender and golden (about 20 mins).

To assemble the quesadillas, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Brush lightly with oil and cover with a tortilla. Spread a thin layer of honey-chipotle sauce over the surface, sprinkle with a quarter of the grated cheese, scallions and pepitas. Spoon a quarter of the roasted yams over the bottom half of the tortilla. Heat through until the cheese melts and the tortilla crispens. Fold the top half over the bottom, slide onto a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven while preparing the remaining quesadillas.

Honey chipotle sauce ** I use this sauce all the time to spice up whatever I'm cooking. Omelettes, pasta sauces, pizzas, sandwiches.

4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chipotle puree (puree a 7 oz can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Refrigerate upto two weeks.

White & Dark Chocolate Haystacks

I'm sneaking in one last post before the end of the year. This salty-n-sweet treat couldn't be any easier to make (and y'all know how I love easy). They're so tempting to snack on that your new year resolution may well be to attain more self control. They also make a great snack for a party and the next time I'm signed up for desserts at a potluck, I'll probably bring bags of this stuff.

300g chocolate (white, dark, or any other good quality chocolate. I like Lindt.) chopped or broken into squares
1/2 cup salted peanuts with skins
1.5 cups pretzel sticks broken into 1-inch pieces

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler until melted. Take it off the heat. Mix together the peanuts and pretzel sticks and stir into the chocolate until just coated. Drop by heaped teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet and refrigerate for an hour.

Makes about 30 haystacks.

Easy, no?

Chocolate Gingerbread Mini Loaves

This recipe is super-rich, so it's a good thing I made mini loaves out of it. It's a Nigella recipe that I decided to make as part of the Food for Thought blog's December cooking club challenge. They taste more like brownies as opposed to gingerbread (which disappointed me a bit as I didn't want brownies), and really should be called chocolate ginger brownies. They still taste good, though too sweet for me. If I made them again I'd use only half the treacle the recipe calls for and definitely cut down on the sugars. I skipped the icing altogether because it seemed like overkill; it's already really moist and sweet. I got five mini loaves out of this recipe and will be giving all (but one) away to family and friends.

Here's a link to the recipe (with conversions).




Thanks to Jeannette of Everybody Likes Sandwiches for the source for mini loaf trays.

Book Reviews from Italy and France!

I love Giada de Laurentiis. I mean, have you seen her show Everyday Italian? She's so cute, uncomplicated, and a delight to watch, you just want to eat her up! Which is more than I can say for her food. Being a fan of her show, I was thrilled to receive her book in the mail. However--Giada's Family Dinners isn't nearly as good as her TV show.


For one thing, I'm not sure what her obsession with nutella is, but there's a recipe in the book for nutella ravioli (which I tried, see photo, and did NOT like). It may be just a general chocolate obsession because I recently saw her make something with gouda and chocolate on Oprah. There's even a "recipe" by her for a nutella sandwich. Come on, since when is a nutella sandwich a recipe??! It's not that I don't like Nutella; I do enjoy it as the occasional treat smothered over a slice of toast, moreso when I was a kid. I just don't think it has a place in the more sophisticated cooking world. I mean, isn't she a Cordon Bleu trained chef? I expect more, dammit. I'll give her points for attempting to appeal to the kid in all of us. The rest of the recipes seem somewhat ordinary. I tried the tuna and artichoke panini, which was nice, but definitely missing the WOW factor. And I think that's safe to say for the rest of the recipes. Sorry babe, but I promise to keep watching Everyday Italian.


As with most people, I had only ever heard about Mireille Guiliano through all the hype of her first book, French Women Don't Get Fat. I haven't read it but if it's anything like French Women For All Seasons, it's a keeper. I love the French joie-de-vivre perspective, and Guiliano shares the wisdom of this lifestyle through her book. I'd never pick up a diet cookbook because I hate fads and eventually the novelty wears off until the next fad diet comes along. It's a business. Thankfully this book is different; it's not about depriving yourself through some sort of crash diet or fasting or counting points or cutting carbs, but instead living a healthful, balanced lifestyle through eating seasonally (certain foods grow at certain times for a reason, no?), portion control, and daily exercise through the daily chores of life. She definitely inspired me to buy a bike this past summer, even though I hadn't been on one since I was 10. It's super to ride to the library, the farmer's market, and the gym knowing I'm getting some fresh air, good aerobic exercise, and not harming the environment. She encourages her readers to engage in the pleasures of life.

Guiliano organizes the book into seasons, complete with menus. It's an easy, enjoyable read as the French can paint the most romantic picture of even the most mundane tasks. She even shares tips on how to tie a belt scarf, a hip wrap, a beach skirt, etc. All a part of the live-well French lifestyle. It's quite charming. I just have two issues with the book: 1) The better-than-thou tone. I realize she's touting a French lifestyle but I could have used less of the subtle but albeit noticeable "The French are the best". 2) The recipes aren't to my taste. I know French cuisine is highly refined but my food needs more spices and flavours. You can have light food with a lot of flavour. The good thing is that her advice is adaptable to any cuisine, so even if you don't want to follow her recipes you can still take what's good from the book.

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

I put up my Christmas lights on Satuday night; it felt good. I usually don't ever decorate this early but the weather outside is frightful, as the song goes, and since I don't have a delightful fire inside (for lack of a fireplace), Christmas decorations will have to do. Plus I'm having a dinner party later this week and I wanted to create the ambience with a ton of white lights. I love tiny white lights. See my Christmas-themed header? I took that picture last Christmas of my tiny (children's) nativity under my tiny tree. In the coming years I'd like to get a more rustic nativity set. I've seen some good ones at Ten Thousand Villages, the fair trade store. Anybody know any other good places to get one?

This is a recipe by Everyday Food, a Martha Stewart magazine. I actually made these around Thanksgiving but never got around to posting the pictures. I wanted to make some sort of pumpkin dessert besides cheesecake or pie. Sometimes you just get tired of the same ol', same ol', y'know? These cookies are quite unique; they have a soft cakey texture and are delicious with tea. It was my first attempt at piping with a ziploc bag :) Next time I'll try chocolate chips.

Here's a link to the recipe on Everyday Food.

Quick White Bean Chili

I went out on a limb the other day when I decided to make a white bean chili. I remembered the pomegranate in the fridge and thought, why not? haha! It turned out surprisingly well. I just thought I'd try something different with those rubies (as I like to call them) besides tossing them into salads. They added a crunchy delicate sweetness to the spicy chili.

1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp honey chipotle sauce (see below)
1 can white beans + liquid
yogurt mixture (lime juice + chopped cilantro + yogurt)
2 sticks celery, chopped
pomegranate rubies
s&p to taste

Honey chipotle sauce (courtesy of the great cookbook, rebar)
Combine these ingredients:
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chipotle puree (pureed a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water

Cook the onion in a little olive oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic. Then add the cumin, coriander powder, honey chipotle sauce, and the beans with their liquid. Add water as needed to prevent it from drying out. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes. Season to taste. Add celery and cook another 5 minutes or until it has reached a desired consistency.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a handful of pomegranate rubies.

Serves 2-3.

Cleansing Meal

With holiday cooking in full mode, I was feeling the need to be "cleansed". All of those heavy turkey dinners with potatoes and breads and baked goodies had taken its toll on my digestive system, leaving my body begging for something light and healthy.

One rainy afternoon I put this delicious meal together. I'm fascinated by how sometimes the best meals come together as a result of what your body is asking for. It's good to listen to those signals! I roasted the fish in a little olive oil, but to go totally "clean" try steaming some white fish. (I don't think oily fish like salmon or tuna lend themselves to steaming!). This recipe is really simple and I'm feeling quite lazy about instructions, though they are common knowledge. Basically, here's how it went down.

2 portions salmon or other oily fish, roasted in a little olive oil and s&p @ 450F for 12 minutes

2 heads baby bok choy, halved length-wise, marinated (see below) and grilled

1 large bowl cooked basmati/jasmine rice

1 pot jasmine green tea (optional but very desirable!)

Bok Choy marinade:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sambal oelek/sriracha/other hot red chili sauce
1 tbsp light-brown sugar
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss and soak halved bok choy for about 10 minutes before grilling 5 minutes per side.

The slightly charred leaves beautifully contrast the juicy stalks.

* This marinade quantity will leave you with leftovers so feel free to use more bok choy and/or pour the rest over your cooked rice and fish.



Serves 2.

Pasta with Sauteed Arugula & Chickpeas

This dinner was the result of an improv session. A friend cancelled last minute on "getting together to do nothing" with me tonight and I wasn't really feeling like ordering in. Somehow these flavours came together (I was craving them and had stuff on hand!) It was good.

You may not want to use pepper at all while seasoning as arugula has a peppery flavour.

1 large bunch arugula
1/2 can chickpeas
1 cup chicken broth
olive oil
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced
s&p
parmiggiano reggiano
cooked babyshells or other small pasta

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute or so until golden and aromatic. Add arugula and cook until wilted. Then add the broth and chickpeas. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Add the pasta and mix thoroughly. Simmer some more to heat the pasta through and allow the liquid to thicken to desired consistency. I added a tsp of flour to thicken it a bit. Season to taste.

Plate, and sprinkle with some more olive oil and grated parmiggiano reggiano.

Serves 2.

Roasted Vegetable & Arugula Salad

A friend of mine brought home boxes of organic produce after visiting a friend's farm in Chilliwack. I happily took some of those veggies off her hands after she offered. Actually, she begged since there was so much! Among those veggies were potatoes, beets and carrots, which I used for this salad.

2-3 beets
small bunch of carrots, cut 1.5" diagonally
2-3 red or other small potatoes, diced
bunch of arugula (or spinach)
crumbled blue cheese
olive oil
s&p
basic vinaigrette (3:1 oil:vinegar)

Preheat the oven to 425F. Trim the bottom of the beets and leave a little stem on the top. Wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for an hour. Remove from oven, let cool and then peel the skins and cut into wedges or dice it up. While the beets are cooling, toss the diced potatoes and carrots in some olive oil and s&p and bake for 30 minutes. Then add the chopped up beets to the potatoes and carrots and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Toss veggies with arugula and vinaigrette, and add crumbled blue cheese.

Serves 2.

Mango Salsa!

A few weeks ago a friend of mine bought herself a condo in Vancouver, and threw a little housewarming party to break it in. In true Vancouver fashion, it poured that day, and my hair and my gift got soaked in the two minute walk from my car to her building. Nevermind, it was pleasant inside and the overcrowding definitely warmed us all up.

There was great finger food, hummus among various other dips, sweet treats, and a mango salsa which stood out. Once I tasted the salsa I knew I had to try it out for myself. Don't you just love it when you eat out and get inspired to cook? I do. I couldn't really remember what was in that salsa, but yesterday I realized I had all the ingredients on hand to concoct my own, except for the mango. I went and got a couple (they are so delicious right now!) and prepared this in 10 minutes!

1 mango, diced
1/2 a small red onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 small tomato, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 small green chili, finely chopped (optional)
crackers

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl, and serve with the crackers.

Yep, that has got to be the shortest recipe method I have ever posted! :)

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate and zucchini. The first time I heard of that combination some years ago I thought it was weird, but now it's fairly common and widely accepted as general deliciousness. That's exactly what these muffins are. However, they're not like your regular heavy chocolatey muffins. These are light, moist, but mildly and pleasantly fibrous. In my quest to buy organic as much as possible, I used organic whole wheat flour and organic zucchini. The original recipe from Rebar, my favourite cookbook, is for cupcakes, but I didn't want any icing so to me they're muffins. The chocolate chips add a nice gooey surprise everytime you bite into it.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
(adapted from Rebar)

1½ c brown sugar
¼ c melted butter (let it cool to room temperature before using or it will cook the eggs!)
3/4 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ c buttermilk
2 c grated zucchini
1 c chocolate chips
2 c whole wheat flour
1 c cocoa
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease muffins pans.

In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.

In a large bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into muffin pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes (book says 35 minutes but also uses large muffin pans), or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen regular sized muffins.

You might like:
Ginger Pumpkin Muffins.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Cod with Lemony Almond Spinach

Today's lunch comes courtesy of the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food magazine. Wrapping the plain ol' cod fillet in prosciutto is an excellent way to add some flavour.

For the spinach I added my own touch of sliced almonds and a sprinkling of parmesan. A delicious lunch, and on a busy workday like this, probably the fastest I've ever made that involves cooking! 15 minutes total.

2 skinless cod fillets
2 thin slices prosciutto
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large bunch spinach, thick stems removed
1 lemon
a handful of almond slices (or any other nuts/raisins)
finely grated parmesan (optional)

Heat the broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Season cod with salt and pepper. Wrap 1 slice prosciutto around each fillet. Rub with 1 tbsp oil and place on broiler proof baking sheet. Broil until prosciutto is browned and fish is opaque, about 12-14 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat remaining oil. Add as much spinach as will fit in skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing and adding more spinach as there is room, until wilted and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and almond slices; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Serves 2.

Pappardelle with Tomatoes

Here's another easy and delicious summery pasta dish. Although it has a little cream, it's a small amount because the cream is really just added for a little bit of sauciness. Not like an alfredo sauce!

Cook pappardelle in boiling salted water until al dente.

In a medium skillet, cook 3 cloves garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add halved cherry tomatoes and cook until some of the juices are extracted. Add a little cream. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add pasta and toss. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese.