It’s turning out to be a pastariffic summer!
This summer has been a boon to my gardening. Perhaps it is because of not having a garden the past couple years. Maybe it’s the weather. Whatever it is I’m taking credit and saying I have officially gotten a green thumb.
I planted three basil plants instead of my usual two but instead of putting them in large pots they are in the garden. What a difference it has made. Each plant is putting out more than I ever got from several of them in the pots- much more.
The same holds true for other herbs. I have so much sage and thyme I plan on drying and packaging it for a winter full of sausage making. I wish I could say the same about my tarragon and rosemary while both look healthy; neither has really grown much since planting them in May. I have mint too, and from what I’ve heard about it being the thug of the garden for most folks, I have to say I’m a little disappointed. I am getting some but it really hasn’t taken off like I thought it would.
It has also been a great year for tomatoes. I haven’t had to buy one in over a month and don’t see myself having to any time soon. I planted 14 plants this year in the hopes that production would be enough to satisfy our ever day needs (read this as my dad’s appetite for two tomatoes a day) and have enough for the occasional pasta or salsa.
Pasta is what this post is supposed to be about so let’s get on with it. They way it’s been working out I’ve had the surplus tomatoes to make pasta the past couple Sundays, but I don’t have the numbers to make a big pot of marinara. So here are a couple great ways to enjoy the herbs and tomatoes you have to spare.
First on my list is pasta with pesto. For my recipe see this post for how I make it and this post for a different serving suggestion.
Last week I made a simple vegetarian pasta dish with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, yellow crookneck squash, basil, butter, Parmesan cheese, and tomatoes.
Always start making pasta by putting about 4 quarts of well salted water (for a standard 1 lb box of pasta) on to boil. Next prepare your ingredients. I diced everything into about large centimeter dice except for the garlic and basil. Smash the garlic well with the side of your knife and mince. Stack the basil leaves and roll them to slice into a fine chiffonade reserve half for just before serving.
By this point your water should be boiling and ready to add the pasta which can take anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes depending on the type. I like Farfalle (bow tie) or mezzi rigatoni which both take about 10 minutes (I should note that I live at 5000 feet and so the box directions plus additional cooking in the sauce work out to give me a perfect al dente pasta at sea level you may want to cut off a minute or so). Add a generous amount of olive oil to a skillet and begin softening the onion on medium high to high heat as it becomes translucent add the garlic and stir. You’ll need to add the squash fairly quickly next followed by the tomatoes you’ll know it’s time when the perfume of cooked garlic reaches your nose. Cover and turn down the heat to allow the release of moisture from the squash and tomatoes.
Be sure to remove some of the pasta water in case your sauce needs more moisture. To finish the sauce I add a pat of butter, half the basil and Parmesan cheese and stir it all together and remove from heat. Next I quickly drain my pasta and put it back into the pot before stirring in the sauce over heat. If it looks dry (like it’s not coating all the pasta) add in some of the pasta cooking water while stirring to make sure it’s all coated nicely.
To serve, put the pasta into a large bowl and garnish with the additional basil and some olive oil. Some leaves from the top of the basil plant stem add additional appeal. Not being a vegetarian, I served this with basil, garlic, and lemon marinated chicken breast that I grilled and fresh fruit.
This week I made a similar pasta dish, the main difference being that I browned and drained a pound of merguez sausage before starting the same cooking process described above. Additional changes included using more squash as well as some bell pepper that I added with the onion. In addition I omitted the basil and added the sausage back at the end of the process. This pasta was served with garlic toast, salad, and fresh fruit.
