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½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh basil, hand-torn

In a large stockpot, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes; it should still be a little firm.

At the same time, heat a 2-count drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta, and stir it around. When the fat starts to render, after about 3 minutes, add the onion and bay leaf. Cook and stir until the onion caramelizes, about 10 minutes. Now add the peas and cook for 2 minutes just to heat them through.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the starchy water for the sauce. Fold the goat cheese into the hot pasta and give it a toss so it melts. Scrape the pancetta, onions, and peas into the pasta pot (toss the bay leaf). Add the Parmigiano, parsley, and lemon juice. Slowly pour in the reserved pasta water to dissolve the cheese and thin it out to a sauce consistency. Hit it with a healthy dose of olive oil and quite a few turns of freshly ground black pepper to give it bite. Return the noodles to the pot and gently toss to coat in the sauce. Split the pasta between 2 large bowls and shower it with the shredded basil.

Sage-Roasted Pork Tenderloin

with Dried Plum Sauce

1 hour

Pork tenderloin is like the filet mignon of the pig, so I serve this with Red Onions Roasted with Balsamic and Honey and round everything out with Garlic-Chive Mashed Potatoes. Charred red onions match perfectly with the sweetness of the dried plums (dried plum is code for prune).

Plum Sauce

1 bottle fruity red wine, such as Pinot Noir

⅓ cup sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ cup pitted prunes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork Tenderloin

4 fresh sage leaves

1 pound pork tenderloin

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

Serves 2

Start with the plum sauce, because it takes longer than the pork. Combine the red wine, sugar, vinegar, and prunes in a pot. Cook over medium heat until the prunes simmer down and get really soft, about 20 minutes. While that is cooking, move on to the pork.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the sage sprigs in a row down the length of the pork tenderloin and tie with butcher’s twine to hold them in place. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper. Put a cast-iron (or regular ovenproof) skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with a little olive oil and get it almost smoking. Add the pork to the pan and sear on all sides until nicely browned and caramelized. Transfer the whole thing to the oven, pan and all, and roast the pork for 10 to 12 minutes.

Puree the prune mixture in a food processor or with a handheld blender. The prunes will thicken the sauce; season with salt and pepper. Cut the string off the pork but leave the sage leaves in place. Slice the pork tenderloin on a slight bias into 1-inch-thick pieces. Drizzle the sauce over the pork.

Pan-Roasted Sirloin with Salad of Arugula, Sweet Peppers, and Olives

Pan-Roasted Sirloin

with Salad of Arugula,

Sweet Peppers, and Olives

1 hour

Avoid using a salad spinner to wash and dry the arugula—the leaves bruise easily. Instead, dunk them in a sink of cool water and lift them into a colander. Pat dry with a kitchen towel. Simple salt and pepper will form a crust on the steaks when you sear them. I don’t normally serve anything else with this warm steak salad except the rest of the bottle of Cabernet used in the vinaigrette recipe.

Serves 2

Salad

2 red bell peppers

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup mixed whole black and green olives, such as kalamata and Picholine

1 bunch baby arugula, trimmed

Juice of ½ lemon

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Steak

2 New York strip steaks, 8 to 10 ounces each, about 1½ inches thick

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 fresh thyme sprigs

½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

½ teaspoon sugar

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