Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (19 page)

1.
Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink.

2.
While the water is coming to a boil, tear the spinach into large bite-sized pieces (this pretty much means just tearing the leaves in half, since they’re already small) and drop them into a large bowl. Pour the olive oil over the spinach, then sprinkle in the garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Use tongs or a long-handled fork to mix, and set aside.

3.
When the water boils, add the linguine, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package, tasting the pasta toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When the linguine is just tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, dump the water-plus-pasta into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to
leave some water clinging). Then transfer the pasta to the bowl containing the spinach mixture, mixing it in with the tongs or the fork until all the pasta is coated with olive oil. The spinach will wilt on contact with the hot pasta.

4.
Immediately sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss well, so the cheese gets evenly distributed and melts nicely. Add the peas, mixing them in very gently so you don’t break them. (Just shake the bowl a few times, and they’ll mix themselves in.)

5.
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, passing extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes for people to add at the table.

DEFROSTING PEAS

To defrost frozen peas, remove them from the box or bag, put them in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave them until they are thawed. You can also simply put them in a strainer and run cool water over them. Or even easier, just put the box or bag in a bowl and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

penne with broccoli and pesto

Makes 3 to 4 servings

C
onvenience squared: You toss chopped broccoli into the pot right along with the pasta, and then drain and sauce everything with pesto (which, if it’s store-bought, makes things even easier). If you do go with purchased pesto, you’ll have better results with the fresh kind (sold in plastic tubs in the refrigerator case), rather than the kind that comes in a jar (which is cooked in the packaging process and has much less flavor). Or even better (and much cheaper), make your own (see Chapter 8: Party Snacks). The pesto needs to be at room temperature, so take it out of the refrigerator shortly before you need it. Leftovers? Chill. You’ll have a perfect cold pasta salad for tomorrow’s lunch.

1.
Pour the olive oil into a large bowl. Add the pesto and whisk until uniformly blended. Set aside.

2.
Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the penne, keeping the heat high. Cook for close to the amount of time recommended on the package. Taste the pasta, and when it looks like the penne have about a minute or so to go, add the broccoli directly to the boiling water. (The broccoli will cook in seconds.) When the pasta and broccoli are
just
tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, ladle out and save about 1 cup of the pasta water, then dump the remaining water-plus-pasta-plus-broccoli into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging), and then transfer the pasta-plus-broccoli to the pesto mixture.

3.
Mix well, so all of the pasta and broccoli is evenly coated with pesto and olive oil. Toss in the Parmesan as you mix (it will melt, coating everything nicely), and then stir in the salt plus about 6 grinds of black pepper (or to taste). If the pasta looks dry, stir in some of the reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time. Serve the pasta hot, warm, at room temperature, or even cold.

WARMING PASTA INGREDIENTS

When working with ingredients (such as pesto) that need to be at room temperature, but not cooked, an easy way to warm them just enough is to spread them across the bottom of the large serving bowl in which you’ll be mixing them with the pasta and, while the pasta is cooking, set the bowl over the boiling pasta water for a few seconds. Stir just until the bowl gets a bit warm. Make sure your bowl is not ice-cold and is made of something heatproof, like metal or heavy earthenware.

pasta shells with chickpeas and arugula

Makes 3 to 4 servings

T
here’s a luxury ingredient in this quick pasta, and it’s one that makes a major difference: fresh mozzarella—the soft white kind that comes in a tub of liquid, not the rubbery kind that’s sold shrink-wrapped. You can cut a few pieces into chunks or, even easier, use
bocconcini,
those bite-sized fresh mozzarella balls, whole or cut in halves or quarters if they’re on the large side. Don’t make the pieces too small, though, because it’s nice to bite into a serious chunk of fresh mozzarella in this texturally fun dish. Young, small (and thus not-so-bitter) arugula is best here. If you have older, larger arugula, remove and discard the stems. Not an arugula fan? Substitute baby spinach leaves, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces.

1.
Set a colander in the sink and pour in the chickpeas; give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain.

2.
In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, salt, thyme, oregano, and olive oil; whisk to blend. Stir in the chickpeas and mozzarella, and grind in a generous amount of black pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, foil, or just a plate, and let it stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour. (You can do this step up to 2 days ahead—in which case, refrigerate the mixture and bring it back to room temperature before proceeding.)

3.
When you are ready to assemble the dish, put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the pasta, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package,
tasting the pasta toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When it is
just
tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, dump the water-plus-pasta into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging), and then add the pasta to the chickpea mixture in the bowl.

4.
Toss well from the bottom of the bowl, sprinkling in the Parmesan and arugula as you go. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, as is or garnished with any of the extras listed at right.

farfalle with roasted garlic, nuts, and raisins

Makes 3 to 4 servings

H
ere’s another no-cook way to dress pasta for success. The garlic, raisins, and nuts make for a nice mix of sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy. You can also try making this with cashews and pistachios, which add a sensational richness. (For detailed nut-toasting instructions, see Chapter 2: Salads.)

Plump sweet golden raisins are best in this dish, but if you don’t have them on hand, black ones work fine. You’ll need to make the Roasted Garlic Paste ahead of time. It’s good to keep some on hand, anyway, so you can throw this (and many other delicious items) together on short notice.