Bucatini all'Amatriciana

I've always found it kind of cool how distinct the myriad of pasta shapes are, despite being made of the same ingredients. A pasta dish can be completely transformed just by changing the shape of noodle used. I can't think of another food that is like this! 

The pairing of pastas and their sauces are usually based on how the shape interacts with the sauce. For instance, short, tubular pastas like penne and rigatoni work well with hearty, chunky sauces, whereas thin noodles like spaghetti and capellini  are often served with thinner, smooth sauces. That being said, when I was little, I couldn't care less about the art of pasta-sauce pairing. All that mattered was that the pasta shape was fun to eat. The right shape made dinner infinitely tastier. Shells and scoobi-doos were my shapes of choice. And I can't forget Zoodles--the safari in a bowl! 

Some of the more unusual shapes I have come across include radiatori (which look like little radiators) and the rather creatively-named Lingua di Suocera ("Mother in Law's Tongue"!). Today I used bucatini, which is a fat noodle with a hole in the center. It used to be a "specialty pasta" but it's becoming easier to find in regular grocery stores. It's Roman in origin and is quite a hearty, chewy pasta. I prepared it with a sauce made from tomatoes and pancetta to make a dish called bucatini all'amatriciana. It's topped with a little basil for extra flavour and served with mozarella stuffed meatballs. 

Recipe after the jump!

Mmmmmac and Cheese

It's been oddly cool in Vancouver for the past few days, so I don't feel that mac and cheese is quite so out of place during a season typically filled with light, fresh, zesty summer fare. In all its ooey, gooey glory, this pan of comfort is enjoyed by my family year round (and is one of my grandmother's favourites!) I wasn't one of those kids that had ketchup with their Kraft Dinner, but I put thinly sliced tomatoes on top for a little freshness to cut the richness. I put panko on everything these days and here it works well for a some crunch on top of the pasta.
I used cavatappi (which was labelled "scoobi doos" on the package. I have no idea why.) I'd recommend sticking to old school elbows though, since the cavatappi tends to be a little too thick and chewy for the cheesy sauce.

PATCh Pasta

Hurrah! It's time for a new post after a very, very, very long break. Here's a bright, colorful pasta perfect for summer dining. 
This combination was inspired by what seems to be a British dish: Crab, Rocket and Chili Linguine. A little Googling brings up many variations of the same flavour combinations and Tesco even has a prepared packaged version. Despite the simplicity of the preparation, all the ingredients play very nicely with each other. The rocket (also known as arugula) has a mild peppery bitterness that cuts through the tomato's sweetness. Everything is warmed through with the chili. The result is big flavour payoff for a pretty small handful of ingredients.
Recipe after the jump...

Salmon to Love (Roasted, Herb-Crusted)

The Pacific Northwest is blessed with an abundance of wild salmon. Or, should I say, overabundance. We have salmon in the fridge so often that I had been running out of creative ways to prepare it.  This is my fifth salmon-themed post. I think it's also the only fish I've every written about.

Anyways, I may be able to end my search for variations because this is pretty darn tasty. The panko gets satisfyingly crispy and golden brown, while the crust seals the salmon and keeps it perfectly moist.

The side dish for the evening starred my favourite pasta-which-thinks-it's-rice, orzo. Dressed up with some lemon zest, herbs and parmesan, it played quite nicely with the salmon.

(Recipe after the jump)

Not Your Average Tuna Casserole: Spaghetti al Tonno

For me, canned tuna is one of those love-hate foods. All too often it brings back memories of smelly lunch box sandwiches and congealed noodle casseroles. While it is convenient and nutritious (in moderation, due to reportedly high mercury levels), it can also be very dry and rubbery.

At least, this was the case until I discovered oil packed tuna. High quality canned tuna is unlike the fishy, tough cat food that you find in many water packed cans. The meat comes in large, moist flakes and are completely pleasant straight from the can. A few recommended brands are Genova and Progresso, but I find oil packed tuna will taste better than their watery counterparts of any brand.

This is one of the most delicious and simple pastas you can make with pantry ingredients. The lemon and capers cut any residual fishiness from the tuna, as well as adding a salty, zesty freshness to the pasta. The flavours actually come from a classic Sicilian combination as fresh fish, citrus, and capers are native to the region.

The pangrattato on top is a crunchy play on the crisp top of a baked tuna noodle casserole.

If you are still haunted by fishy sandwiches of your childhood, give canned tuna another chance in this delicious pasta. You won't be disappointed.

Pasta Carbonara, Deconstructed

While the ingredients that make up this pasta are deceptively simple, the flavours are anything but. It's not surprising that it all works together so harmoniously; the egg+cheese+bacon combination is classic, after all.

Here, the salty porkiness of the pancetta is brightened by aromatic garlic and gentle heat of chili flakes. Echoing another classic, asparagus spears served with a soft boiled egg for dipping, the pasta is dressed with a fried egg with a runny yolk. The silkiness of the egg yolk brings everything together so well that you don't even need to make a sauce!

Pancetta is salt cured and spiced pork belly. It's like an Italian bacon. I prefer its flavour over the smokier streaky bacon for this use, but whatever you have on hand is fine.

This is perfect as a lunch you can whip up from ingredients you keep in the pantry. Ten minutes is all that's needed for deliciously satisfying "fast food."

Salmon Variation #1,000: Panko Crusted Salmon with Lemon and Parsley Cappellini

We eat a lot of salmon at home. A lot. And why not? The beautifully coral-hued fish is delicious and meaty in texture, not to mention packed with nutritional benefits. While it is considered an "oily" fish because of its high omega-3 fatty acid content (important to cardiovascular health!) it does not actually taste oily at all.

Salmon are not all created equal. Firstly, there are the different varieties, with sockeye, chinook, pink, chum, and coho being the common ones. The sockeye and chinook varities are fattier with higher omega-3 contents. Then there is the farmed vs. wild debate. In general, the wild varities are more nutritious and contain less toxins than the farmed counterparts. While farmed salmon tend to be much "fattier" than wild, they also tend to be exposed to more artificial substances (and may even be tinted to a specific pink). We usually buy wild sockeye salmon.

Before this turns into a salmon encyclopedia entry, let's move onto the important part: cooking and eating. I keep feeling like I'm running out of fresh ways to prepare salmon. This time, I decided to use panko breadcrumbs as a crust. Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb that is coarser and lighter than regular breadcrumbs. It gives the food it coats a light, flaky crunchiness and is often used as a coating for Japanese tempura.

I flavoured the panko crust with gremolata-inspired ingredients. Gremolata is an Italian condiment made from parsely, lemon, and garlic that is traditionally served with ossobuco (braised veal shanks). The combination is incredibly fragrant and gives any dish a citrus freshness and warm depth from the garlic. I also added the mixture to some cooked cappellini to tie the side dish with the salmon. Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and toasted pine nuts finish this quick and light pasta dish.

'Tis the Season: Cappellini with Roasted Tomatoes and Spot Prawns

One of the best things about British Columbia in the summertime is spot prawn season, which runs for about 80 days each year starting in late May. Not only do dishes showcasing spot prawns spring up on restaurant menus all over the city, there are even spot prawn festivals at both Fisherman's Wharf and Granville Island. Visit the moored fishing boats for the freshest selection of seafood.

When I purchased mine, they were extremely fresh (read: alive and kicking), which made prep a little challenging, though I'll spare you the gory details. But it was entirely worth the mildly traumatic experience because the fresh flavour was amazing; they were sweet and delicately "ocean-y". The meat is firm, and a little like lobster meat. Spot prawns are also rated "Best Choice" according to SeaChoice, which is a Canadian sustainable seafood program. So there you have it: sustainability and deliciousness. What's not to love?

One not so great thing about British Columbia is the lack of fantastic tomatoes. You know, the ones that actually taste like tomatoes? Sure, there may be some gorgeous heirloom varities in specialty markets, but I'm referring to the common pale-skinned, blah-flavoured supermarket tomato. Luckily, I've learned that roasting will amplify the flavour significantly. By lightly caramelizing them and removing much of their excess liquid, the tomato-iness is concentrated and makes a great pasta sauce. This way you can pretend you were cooking with fresh-from-the-fields, still-warm-from-the-sun produce. Nice.

The fantastic prawns and made over tomatoes came together in a dish inspired by a delicious pasta I had at Provence restaurant in Vancouver last year during spot prawn season:

Cappellini with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic Spot Prawns

3 large roma tomatoes, quartered

1/2 onion, cut in 4 wedges

3 cloves garlic, whole

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

9 fresh spot prawns, cleaned

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 lb dried cappellini (angel hair) pasta

Arrange tomatoes (cut side up), onions, garlic, and thyme on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bake at 300F for 2 hours or until tomatoes are slightly dried and wrinkled, and onions are soft and caramelized.

Cool roasted vegetables for 20 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain the puree through a sieve. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Boil cappellini until al dente (about 3 minutes!) and toss in roasted tomato sauce.

Saute prawns in butter and garlic (2 minutes per side). Serve over pasta with shaved parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 3

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Ugly Duckling: Pappardelle with Slow-Braised Leeks and Porcini Pangrattato

Alright, so this is not the prettiest pasta at the party, but it is SO delicious I couldn't care less. I swear Jamie Oliver is a culinary genius.

Pangrattato is the crunchy breadcrumb topping sprinkled on right before serving. I remember hearing that it was created out of frugality long ago as a substitute for cheese. This stuff gives the dish an unusual kick (it's great on risotto too).

While the plate looks plain, there are many complex flavours and textures swirling around. There's the intense aromas of garlic, wine, mushrooms and thyme, then the salt of the proscuitto, the velvet silkiness of pasta and sweet leeks, and the crunch of the pangrattato. There's tons going on but it's somehow both contrasting and harmonious at the same time. Need I say more to convince you to try this? No?

Well, here's the recipe...

But one more note on leeks. They're one of the dirtiest vegetables you can buy from the produce stand. To clean leeks:
-cut off the dark leaves and take a thin slice off the root end. Peel off the tough, dark outer layer
-split the leek down lengthwise
-rinse under running water, leaves side down, opening the layers up to get most of the grit out (so you don't ruin your knife trying to chop through sand)
-slice into ribbons (or as your recipe calls for them)
-soak in a bowl of cold water, separating the layers. This will allow and remaining sand and dirt to fall to the bottom
-remove the leeks with a strainer

Cheat's Pappardelle with Slow-Braised Leeks and Crispy Porcini Pangrattato

Ingredients

• 5 big leeks, outer leaves trimmed back, washed
• Olive oil
• 3 good knobs butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• A small wineglass white wine
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (Omit the salt if the ham is salty)
  
• 1 pint good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
• 12 slices ham, preferably Parma
• 2 (8-ounce) packages fresh lasagne sheets (I cooked dried pappardelle instead)
  
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 2 handfuls freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Pangrattato:

• 1 small handful dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 ciabatta bread, preferably stale, cut into chunks
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions

Halve the leeks lengthways and cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices. Heat a wide saucepan, add a splash of oil and a knob of butter, and when you hear a gentle sizzling add the sliced garlic, thyme leaves and leeks. Move the leeks around so every piece gets coated. Pour in the wine, season with pepper and stir in the stock. Cover the leeks with the slices of Parma ham, place a lid on the pan and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the leeks are tender, take the pan off the heat.

To make the pangrattato:

Whiz the mushrooms and bread with a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic cloves and the rosemary and cook for a minute, then fry the bread crumbs in the oil until golden and crisp. Keep shaking the pan - don't let the bread crumbs catch on the bottom. Drain on paper towels, discard the rosemary and garlic and allow the bread crumbs to cool.

Bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Lay the lasagne sheets on a clean working surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Place the sheets on top of each other and slice into 1/2-inch strips. Toss through your fingers to shake out the pappardelle, then cook in the boiling water 2 minutes or until al dente.

Remove the Parma ham from the saucepan, slice up and stir back into the leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan and the rest of the butter. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the leeks. Add a little of the cooking water if need be, to give you a silky, smooth sauce. Serve quickly, sprinkled with some pangrattato, extra Parmesan and any leftover thyme tips. Serve the rest of the pangrattato in a bowl on the side.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network and Jamie at Home
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Lasagna and 9 Other Bolognese Reincarnations

Leftovers are great. They mean quick dinners and food often tastes better because flavours can mingle and mellow. But because the food police say that leftovers should optimally be consumed within four days (and it usually takes me longer than four days to want to eat the same thing again), sometimes a little leftover magic is called for.

The bolognese recipe from Monday made a pretty generous vat of sauce. After freezing some of it, I still have one dinner's worth of sauce left. And while serving it over piles of pasta again is fine, I decided to make a lasagna instead.

I used half whole wheat and half white pasta sheets. Although I want to make a nutritious dinner, I must admit that I'm not a fan of the brittle graininess of whole wheat pasta. So, a compromise had to be made.

Rather than buying a hunk of mozzarella cheese and having even more leftovers sitting in the fridge, I layered bechamel sauce (same recipe as in the moussaka!) with the meat sauce. I sprinkled the top with some parmesan (freshly grated, please) and it browned very nicely. I liked the milky creaminess of the bechamel against the meatiness of the bolognese, but if you prefer the stringy gooeyness of an extra cheesy lasagna, then by all means, go for it.

And if you don't want to have anything pasta-ish and you aren't a bolognese purist, then I present...

9 More Dishes to Make with Leftover Bolognese Sauce:

1. Pizza: Delish with store-bought or homemade crust
2. Calzones: Stuff a half-moon of pizza dough with it
3. Stuff bell peppers of zucchini with pasta sauce and rice
4. Serve over soft polenta (one of my favourites)
5. Serve over rice
6. "Shepherd's Pie": Top with mashed potatoes and cheese
7. Chili con carne
8. Hot sandwich: Spread over crust French bread, top with cheese and broil
9. "Enchiladas": Roll up in a tortilla, top with cheese and bake

and of course...

Lasagna Bolognese:
Serves 8

Leftover bolognese sauce (about 5 cups)
1 lb dry lasagna noodles
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Bechamel Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cook lasagna noodles until very al dente (should still be a little crunchy in the middle). Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of the dish. Lay out 1 layer of noodles. Spread about 1 1/2 cups sauce over and pour over 1/3 of the bechamel. Repeat with two more layers of noodles and end with a layer of bechamel. Cover the top with parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Bechamel Sauce:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
2 large eggs

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Return to the heat and while whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir to cool. When the sauce is cool, whisk in the eggs.

Recipe adapted from Food Network Kitchens
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Acropolis Not Included: Souvlaki Salmon with Greek Orzo

Today, we travel to Greece for this light and refreshing summer supper. On the menu tonight: souvlaki inspired salmon, served alongside a Greek orzo salad. Orzo is rice shaped pasta. I love it because you get the approximate effect of rice, and it's much easier and faster to cook. The small "grains" soak up flavour really well too. The Greek vinaigrette doubles as both salad dressing and marinade. Two birds, one stone.
For a little extra oomph I roasted the bell pepper. And rather than grilling it outside, I did it over the gas burner. Don't worry, the skewered blackening pepper isn't going to burst into flames.

How to roast a pepper indoors on a gas burner:

-Skewer the stem end of the pepper with a two-pronged fork (the kind you use to carve a roast). Make sure you get it centered the first time, or else the pepper will wobble on the fork

-Do not oil or season the pepper

-Turn on the gas burner (the small one) and hold the pepper over the flame. Hold the pepper fairly close, about a half inch from the flame. It will pop and sizzle a little. Once one side is blackened, rotate the pepper until it is charred all over.

-Pop the pepper into a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Steam for 5-10 minutes. Take out the pepper, peel it, and remove the seeds. Avoid running the pepper under water as you peel it so that you don't rinse off the flavour.

Souvlaki Marinated Salmon with Greek Orzo Salad:

2 lemons
Olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper

4 salmon fillets (~6 ounce portions)

1 1/4 cups orzo (cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water)
1 bell pepper (roasted, peeled, and diced)
1/3 cup cucumber (diced)
2 roma tomatoes (seeds scooped and diced)
1/3 cup feta cheese
3 green onions (chopped)
(Add red onion and olives, if desired)

In a small bowl, combine juice and zest of the lemon, garlic, oregano, honey, and pepper. Gradually whisk in olive oil (use three parts oil to one part lemon juice).

Reserve about 1/4 cup of the dressing, and pour the rest over the salmon. Marinade at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss together orzo and diced vegetables. Crumble in feta in large chunks. Season the reserved 1/4 cup of dressing with salt and pour over orzo. Toss to combine. Chill while cooking salmon (even better if made a few hours in advance).

Remove salmon from the dressing and shake off the excess marinade. Season both sides with coarse salt. Heat olive oil in a frying pan until very hot (oil should shimmer, but not smoke). Cook salmon skin side up until browned, then flip and cook until done (about 2 minutes per side, depending on fillet thickness).

Serves 4.

Recipe and image property of beets and bites

Ragu Bolognese with Pappardelle: Not Your Typical Chef Boyardee

Spaghetti and meat sauce is one of those classic dishes that everyone loves; it's simple and satisfying. I wanted to change things up a bit, so I used pappardelle instead of spaghetti. These flat, wide pasta ribbons complement the meaty richness of the sauce very well. I find it so mysterious how virtually all pasta is made of the same ingredients, yet different shapes somehow manage to taste different. If you can't find pappardelle, you can always slice some fresh lasagne sheets into wide strips instead.

The recipe below does look a bit intimidating; there are tons of ingredients and long cooking times. But there's a difference between a time consuming recipe and a difficult one. All you do is chop ingredients and open cans, then you can pretty much forget about it and the stove does the rest of the work. On top of this, you get to appear very domestic as there's something quite homey and impresive about a big pot bubbling on the stove for a few hours.

With all the work that the recipe calls for, I will admit that I was expecting something that tastes knock-your-sock-off incredible. Don't expect that from this recipe. It pretty much tastes like meat sauce is supposed to taste. This isn't to say that it isn't delicious, but bolognese sauce is about subtle but complex and harmonious flavours. This is why it needs to bubble on the stove for so long. The fragrance of the herbs, vegetables and wine combine with the meatiness of the pancetta, the sharpness of the tomatoes, and the butteriness of the cream. The recipe makes a very nicely balanced sauce which tastes about a thousand times better than anything out of a can. And with some of the leftovers parked in the freezer, future pasta dinners are almost just as easy.

Fun Fact: Unlike Aunt Jemima and Betty Crocker, Chef Boyardee is a real person (Mr. Ettore Boiardi)...

Spaghetti Bolognese

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3/4 cup diced carrots
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt (add at the end...bacon is already quite salty)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pound ground beef or ground veal
• 1/2 pound pork sausage, removed from the casings, or ground pork (I used ground turkey instead)
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock or broth
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I omitted this; the sauce is plenty rich)
  
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausages, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, and until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the cream, butter, and parsley, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return the water to a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and toss to blend. Divide among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the remainder for another meal.)

Source: Food Network and Emeril Live
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More "Fast Food": Pan-seared Salmon with Lemon Herb Pasta

As dinnertime rolled around today, I was hungry and a little short on time. This is a light and tasty dinner you can whip up in 15 minutes flat. No joke.

If you've got the patience to, brown the butter before adding it to the pasta. All you do is cook it in a pan until it turns caramel-y brown (be careful not to burn it at this point). This transforms it from golden mellowness to a nutty amber liquid, which gives an extra flavour boost to the simple pasta "sauce."

Pan-seared Salmon with Lemon Herb Pasta:

The most time consuming part of this is waiting for the pasta water to boil. Make sure you salt it well. Apparently, Italians say to salt pasta water until it "tastes like the sea."

Once the pasta is boiling, add a little oil to a frying pan and add a clove of minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper and pan fry it 3-4 minutes a side. Add lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice when it is nearly cooked through.

Drain the cooked pasta and toss with butter, lemon zest and juice, grated parmesan cheese, and finely chopped herbs (I used parsley and green onion here. Chives would be nice too!) and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the salmon.

Chow down.

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"Fast Food": Penne with Chorizo, Portobello, and Spinach

When I make pasta, it's usually "tossed" rather than "sauced." For one thing, my family just prefers pasta that way. Fresh tomato sauce tends to be a bit acidic and cream sauce is a little heavy. (However, mix those two together to get a "rose" sauce and I'd eat it any day.) A good bolognese/meat sauce is delicious, but I get impatient when it comes to letting it slowly simmer for hours on the stove.

This pasta is flavourful and light enough for a summer supper. It is so easy that you really could just wing it. But the general idea is...

Penne with Chorizo, Portobello, and Spinach
-2 chorizo sausages, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
-3 portobello mushrooms, halved and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
-garlic, 2 cloves minced
-3/4 lb spinach leaves, washed and coarsely chopped
-1 lb penne pasta, cooked until al dente

-Place chorizo in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Brown sausage and remove. Reserve oil from sausage.
-Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Brown mushrooms on both sides. (Add thyme if you've got some. Red chili flakes would also be nice.)
-Return sausages to the pan and add the spinach. Turn the spinach until it wilts.
-Toss ingredients with cooked penne.
-Finish with shaved parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serves 4

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