Pasta Round-up

So, you may have noticed that I don't post everyday.  I usually put something up every other day or every couple of days.  That doesn't mean I'm not cooking on those in-between days.  It just means I was too tired, or it was late, or I was too hungry to take the time to post.  Since I didn't really like the way dinner photographed last night (my cod fillets fell apart in the pan and looked like a big ole mess on the plate, hey it happens) - I'm going to do a pasta round-up of the dishes I've made but not posted on...

I find pasta night a really fun and easy night to make dinner.  And Falco LOVES his pasta.  So he's always happy to have pasta night.  I like how pasta can be a kitchen sink special, you can use whatever you have on hand.  It's easy to riff off of traditional recipes.  Just think of your favorite pasta joint flavor combos: sausage and broccoli rabe - guanciale or bacon, onion, egg and pecorino - tomato, basil and garlic - pesto: basil, garlic, pine nuts, parm, oil, then think about how you can substitute in different ingredients with similar qualities.  Air cured duck breast (I still have some left!) or pancetta for bacon or even sausage - right?  Salty meat for salty meat, why not?  Spinach, kale, collards, even Brussels for bitter broccoli rabe, right on!  Pesto can be substituted any number of ways, arugula, parsley, spinach for the basil, any nut for the pine nut, and you can modify that sucker a thousand ways... so it's easy to take a basic, traditional recipe and substitute whatever you have on hand.  Which is what I do all the time!  It's easy and fun - and when you know how the original recipes work - you can imagine how a substitute ingredient will fit into the mix.

Here are a couple of pasta plates I've done lately:

Whole Wheat Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage 

(ok this is pretty tradish)

Graminga (why not use a fun new shape?)

With Arugula and Duck Prosciutto

and Fresh Tomato

Polenta with Mushroom Ragu

(thicken up the sauteed mushrooms

with chicken stock and mascarpone!)

So get to experimenting with your pasta!