Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers - Moosewood Collective [7]
When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving a cup of the hot water. Place the pasta in a serving bowl, add the onions (swirl some of the reserved water around in the skillet to get out every tasty bit) and the blue cheese, and toss together to melt the cheese and coat the pasta. Add more of the pasta-cooking water if you’d like it saucier. Serve hot.
serving & menu ideas
A salad with slightly bitter greens goes well with this sweet, rich pasta. Or toss endive with Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette. Peach Brown Betty is a sweet ending.
spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes & pine nuts
This traditional southern Italian pasta recipe, with its base of aglio e olio, garlic and oil, is one of those rustic foods that presents like a gourmet dish. It’s made entirely with pantry items, so it’s a perfect last-minute supper.
Serves 4 to 6
TIME: 25 MINUTES
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 to 10 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
¼ cup minced fresh parsley (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan or crumbled ricotta salata (optional)
Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and set aside to soften for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, in a small pan on low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl, heat the oil and garlic until golden. Set aside. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the soaking liquid. Cut the tomatoes into thin strips.
When the pasta is done, drain it and place in a serving bowl. Add the cooked garlic, sun-dried tomato strips, pine nuts, and parsley. Toss well. Stir in some of the reserved sun-dried tomato soaking liquid to moisten the pasta, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with grated cheese if you like.
INGREDIENT NOTES Add chopped fresh tomatoes, a couple tablespoons of capers or sliced olives, and/or some thinly sliced fresh fennel (sauté it in the oil before adding the garlic).
serving & menu ideas
Have a tossed green salad and enjoy Mocha Sorbet for dessert.
pasta with artichoke hearts & feta
Feta cheese, garlic, and artichoke hearts are some of our favorite ingredients; here, they’re combined in a very simple pasta dish that packs a lot of flavor. For this dish, we make an instant creamy sauce by stirring hot pasta-cooking water into feta.
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 30 MINUTES
1 pound pasta
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 14-ounce cans of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1½ cups crumbled feta cheese
Bring a large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a skillet on medium-high heat, cook the onions, garlic, and oregano in the oil, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and are turning brown at the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cook until heated through, a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1½ cups of the pasta-cooking liquid. In a serving bowl, whisk the reserved liquid into the feta until smooth. Add the pasta and the artichoke mixture and toss.
INGREDIENT NOTE Spinach fettuccine or linguine looks and tastes good in this dish, but any pasta is fine.
serving & menu ideas
Add color and sweetness to the meal with Marmalade-Glazed Carrots on the side and Mocha Sorbet for dessert.
beijing noodles
Here’s a meatless variation of a classic northern Chinese noodle dish. We love the contrast between the hot, saucy noodles and the cold, crunchy raw vegetable toppings. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days, so you can make the sauce and prepare the toppings ahead of time and then cook the noodles