I think that the manna that the Israelites had in those 40 years of wandering in the desert was none other than pasta. I can’t prove it biblically but think about it. Is there any other bread-like substance that you can eat every day and never tire of it?

See?

This is one of those “Dear Lord what am I cooking tonight?” dishes. The refrigerator was skimpy and so was the pantry. I used to have a regular day for everything…Grocery shop on Monday,clean on Tuesday and Wednesday, day off on Thursday, paperwork and scheduling on Friday…

Please note the words “used to”. Now I get so busy I forget to shop and then we have the unique meals that would totally ruin any reputation as a foodie I have. I have not yet lowered myself to the point of making peanut butter ravioli with jelly sauce..but I am not saying it couldn’t happen…

This was made of a few scraps of Fontina, some left over pecans, a whisp of celery and a couple of spinach leaves that would have had to go to the chickens by the next day..

Yumm…sounds appetizing doesn’t it? Just remember; it isn’t you you start…it’s how you finish!

This makes a great luncheon dish, side dish, or vegetarian main course. There is lots of flavors and textures happening on the plate. If I make it again I am going to try adding some unpeeled, chopped apples just lightly sauteed. I wish I would have thought of it this time.

A friend of mine saw Maple Pepper on a trip to New Hampshire. She sent me a jar of it and…wowza! That stuff is potent. If you don’t have access to the maple pepper, add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the vegetables at the end of saute time, and add a finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo as well.

Need a menu? Try this with:

Autumn Dinner

Autumn Pasta with Fontina and Pecans

Honey Glazed Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Baguette or  Rosemary Cracked Pepper Bread

Apple Bundt Cake

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Night. PPN is the brain-child of Ruth of Once Upon a Feast and Abby of Eat th Right Stuff is the hostess for this week.

Autumn Pasta with Fontina and Pecans

• 1 lb  whole wheat penne, cooked a la dente
• 1/2 to 1 cup pecans, chopped and  toasted*
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach cut on a chiffonade**
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms of choice, sliced ( a mixture of several is nice here)
• 4 oz fontina, grated
• 1/2 tsp maple pepper
• salt to taste
• olive oil and butter combo for saute pan (about 2 tbs each)

*To toast pecans toss them in a heavy pan and stir over medium high heat watching that they don’t burn.

**To cut chiffonade: layer several spinach leaves on top of each other. Roll up tightly and then cut horizontally very thinly. You will end up with thin strips of spinach.

1. Saute onion, garlic, and celery in pan until just soft
2. Add mushrooms and saute until done
3. Add maple pepper and stir well
4. Put penne in a large serving bowl, spoon ingredients over the top
5. Add pecans, fontina, and spinach
6. Toss lightly and serve immediately with extra fontina

serves 4-6 (8-10 appetizer or side dish servings)

image:marye audet

The warm flavors of the Southeastern French coast come together in this pasta to create nothing less than a miracle.  van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, and many other artists have been inspired by the beauty, the climate, and no doubt, the food of this magical place.

I wanted to capture that flavor in a pasta dish.  Something bold and bright, intense and flavorful seemed to be calling to me like the Sirens but I was not sure how I wanted to put it all together until I went to the grocer and found large shrimp on sale.  Perfect!

This dish almost screams for a good baguette to soak up all the sauce, and a crisp romaine salad to add crunch to the meal.

This is my entry for This week’s Presto Pasta is hosted by Katie at  One Little Corner of the World. If you want to participate in Presto Pasta Night 109 then follow these   guidelines .  Many thanks to Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast, who created PPN and keeps it going smoothly.

Shrimp and Pasta Provencal

• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 large can Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
• 1 jar pitted Kalamata olives, drained and brine set aside
• 1 /4 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 lbs large or jumbo shrimp, deveined but shells on
• 1 lb whole wheat fettuccine

Saute the garlic, onion, pepper, and celery in the olive oil until vegetables are tender and onion is transparent.  Remove from pan and set aside. Add the shrimp and saute until the shrimp begins to turn color.  Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Deglaze the pan with the wine and add the tomatoes, red pepper, and olives.  Bring to a simmer and cover.

Bring pot of salted  water to a boil and add fettucine.  Cook until a la dente.  Drain.

Remove the shells from the shrimp and add to the sauce.  Continue to simmer until shrimp is done, just a few more minutes.  Stir in the basil.  Serve over the fettucine, garnished with shaved parmesan cheese.

Serves 6 or so

Eating locally and in season just makes sense, The produce is more flavorful, more fresh, and generally at it’s most inexpensive. If you can find a local gardener or small farmer then you are really in luck. Maybe it won’t be certified organic but you can bet it will be affordable, delicious, and grown with care. That is what real food is all about.

And when you can take real food and make a real meal with it..then that is real good.

This is the first RestlessChipotle entry for Presto Pasta Nights.  This week it is hosted byMarye at Baking Delights.

This spring pasta is an amazing juggling act of delicate flavor.  Spring onion, scallions, fresh peas, baby spinach, tiny asparagus shoots (or fiddleheads if you are lucky enough to have them available) and just enough musky sweet prosciutto and salty Parmesan to let your mouth know that you are serious about your food.

This dish takes less than thirty minutes.  A perfect week night meal.  I found the original on Epicurious. I adjusted to my own tastes and the result was …very good.  If you dislike prosciutto you could use bacon but I think it would be too salty.

Spring Pasta

serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1lb green onions  cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup  minced shallot
• Coarse kosher salt
• 1 cup free range chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 2 pounds peas in pods, or frozen
• 1 pound medium shell pasta
• 1 lb baby spinach, cut in 1/2 inch strips
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional 1/2 cup for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

Instructions

Melt butter and olive oil in large skillet.  Add the shallots and green onions, season with salt.  Saute without browning until tender. Add the balsamic and deglaze the pan.  Add the chicken broth.  Allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the rest.

Bring a stockpot of water to a boil.  Cook the asparagus until tender crisp. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Return water to a boil and add the peas cooking until just barely tender. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon.  If you are using frozen peas skip this step.

Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain it.

Add the spinach to the onion mixture and stir until the spinach barely wilts. Add the pasta, the prosciutto, and 1 cup of the cheese and stir it in.  Add a little extra chicken broth if it seems to dry. Season with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with some more cheese and serve immediately.