Fresh Summer Pasta

For the past few summers, Scott and I have been trying to grow food.  We tried planting stuff in the backyard, but the dogs just trampled it and we didn’t get enough sunlight.  Then we tried to grow a couple of things in pots, still in the backyard.  We eventually ended up with beets the size of a gumball and nothing else.  Finally this year we figured that we needed a place with more sunlight, so we bought a couple of tomato plants, some mind, rosemary, thyme, and basil, and planted them in pots on the side of our house.  Well, for the first time ever, we have successfully grown something we can eat! 

Our tomatoes are ripening beautifully, and we had about four that would be ready for dinner, so we decided to throw together a simple pasta dish.  Have you ever picked a tomato right from the  vine?  They are warm and fragrant, and just slightly heavenly.   This is another recipe that is PERFECT for a weeknight because everything can be tossed together while the pasta cooks.

Fresh tomato pasta (serves 2)

6 ounces of your favorite pasta, though small pieces are better than long in this case

Boil the pasta according the direction on the package

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, put:

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced finely

Herb of your choice (I used rosemary), minced

Drizzle of balsamic syrup (I prefer balsamic syrup if I am not making an emulsion out of it.  It has better  mouth feel and makes a thicker sauce)

Raw egg yolk (can be omitted, but helps make the balsamic into a thicker sauce)

Salt and pepper to taste

Once the pasta is done boiling, drain and throw on top of the other ingredients.  Mix up.  Nom.

This was just the perfect combination of summer flavors, and light enough to not bog me down after yoga.

Recipe: Green Spaghetti

I am a carboholic.  I am pretty sure that if I lived alone I would just eat a giant bowl of pasta every night.  I might mix up the sauces, but it would be all pasta all the time.  And the “serving size” of pasta?  HA!  I could probably eat an entire 1 lb box of pasta if I really set my mind to it.  Serving size is one of those things I have to really watch in order to lose or maintain my weight.  So now I diligently measure out my pasta on my food scale.  And by diligently, I mean I usually have a serving and a half of pasta, because even on a diet, one serving won’t be satisfying.

This is a great recipe that I made last night. It look approximately 10 minutes to make, which is great for a weekday evening or when you don’t really feel like cooking.  I modified the recipe from one of my vegetarian cookbooks.

Recipe: Green Spaghetti (serves 2)

6 oz capellini or spaghetti

Frozen broccoli (I used about half a pound)

1/3 cup skim milk

Garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped

¼ cup Blue Cheese

Salt and pepper

Boil pasta for however long the box says to.  Meanwhile, use a steamer basket set over the pasta water to steam the broccoli for about 4 minutes.  Once the broccoli is steamed put in a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Mix with cooked pasta and serve hot.

This was surprisingly good for something so simple.  It had a fresh flavor from the broccoli, and the small amount of blue cheese added a great tanginess to the dish.