Tag Archives: tomatoes

Easy Pasta Primavera

As you know by now, I love eating pasta. It is definitely my favorite starch and one of the most versatile food to prepare. For us South Floridian, it feels like summer already but for most of you, it’s still springtime. The flowers are blooming, and some veggies are in season. It’s Pasta Primavera time, a simple pasta dish made with fresh vegetables in a cream sauce. It’s easy and delicious. You can use any pasta shape of your choice, but today I am using a small farfalle. They’re commonly known as bow-tie, and the meaning stands for butterfly in Italian.

Serves: 6-8 as a main meal Level of difficulty: Easy – It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish depending how fast you prep your ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 lb. small farfalle pasta
1/2 head of garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil + more to drizzle
15 oz. whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup pasta water, (reserved)
3-4 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
Preparation:

1) In a large frying pan, on medium-high heat, heat up olive oil. Sautee onions for 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, and sautee until you smell the beautiful aroma. Set aside.

2) Bring the pasta water to a boil. Add a handful of salt, and cook pasta according to package directions. About 5 minutes or so before the time is up, add the asparagus and cook in the same pot to save time. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup or so of pasta water.

3) Turn the burner back on with the onions and garlic on low, drop the pasta, season with Italian seasoning and black pepper. Add the tomatoes and asparagus. Slowly incorporate the ricotta, pasta water and basil. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Garnish with some veggies on top to make it enticing. Drizzle with olive oil. Voila! It’s that easy!

Wine pairing suggestions: Verdicchio , Gavi or a Sauvignon Blanc will work beautifully with this spring dish.

Cook’s Tips

You can use a variety of vegetables such as zucchini, green or red bell peppers. The choice is endless. For a more flavorful version, roast the veggies in the oven, however, keep in mind, this recipe is meant to save you time. Put your own twist on it, and make it your signature dish.

A recipe is to be used as a barometer, if you are on a salt-restricted or low-fat diet, cut back on the salt and use a part-skim ricotta cheese.

Happy Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours,

Recipe by Foodiewinelover
Photo by Gina Martino Zarcadoolas for Foodiewinelover

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Delectable Greek Salad

Santorini, Greece

Acropolis, Athens

I love Greek cuisine, and one of the easiest dishes to make, is a classic Delectable Greek Salad. When I make it here in the US, I usually use Romaine or iceberg lettuce along with the other ingredients. Surprisingly, when I was in Greece, I found out, their authentic salad did not call for any lettuce. Back in 2008, taking pictures of food wasn’t popular like today. I don’t have any to share with you because Instagram was non-existent then. However, I will share some of my personal photos taken while visiting some of the famous and breathtaking Greek islands, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Athens.

Serves 2-4 as a side – Add Grilled Chicken or Salmon, and make it a meal for 2. Difficulty, super easy.

Ingredients:

1 tomato, cut up in wedges
1/2 cucumber, cut up in wedges
1 small red onion, sliced
A handful of Kalamata olives
1/2 green pepper, diced
3-4 oz. of Feta cheese, crumbled, and a square for garnish
Red wine vinegar, lots of drizzle to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to your heart’s content
Himalayan sea salt, or sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon oregano

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes, Feta cheese, cucumbers, onions, olives, peppers in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with red wine vinegar, and a generous amount of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well. Garnish with a nice piece of Feta. Voila! You got yourself a lovely and refreshing Greek salad.

Tips #1) Always use more olive oil than vinegar. In general, the ratio is 2-3 parts oil for 1 part vinegar.

Tip #2) You can eye-ball the measurements, use a jar with a spout, it gives you more control. Most of all, as a homecook, you should always taste your food. If you like it, the chances are, your loved ones will too.

I hope you will make this delicious salad, and bring it to a picnic!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Kali Orexi!