A simple pasta

Last week I went up north to stay with dear friends for a quick break. They live on the foothills of the Carmel, overlooking the sea. They have a small vegetable garden, a welcoming array of pillows and covers for guests, open hearts and open doors, a table in the front yard which has, as mentioned, a perfect view of the sea, which at the right hour becomes a shimmering expanse of brightness.

Greeted upon arrival by numerous cats and the newly green nature surrounding their home, I turned to satiate a small but definite hunger. The rains which fell recently mean an abundance of young green things which grow wild on any spot, so I gathered a bunch of  young nettle leaves ( with a plastic bag on my hand! ) and wild mustard greens. The mustard greens are delectable, and extremely simple to come by in winter if you live around here. Gather the young tender leaves. Along with the nettles, which are said to be highly nutritious and  cleansing to the body, this made for a delicious, simple, light lunch. Rinse the greens well, warm a little olive oil in a skillet, toss  the clean greens in along with some salt and pepper, and cook just until wilted, stirring occasionally. That's it. I had this with a piece of dense, dark rye toast slathered with raw tehina. You could serve the greens as a side to any dish you please. They also like a squeeze of lemon juice right before you eat them and a bit of garlic quickly fried in the oil before they join the skillet. But the simple way works more than fine.

Since the purpose of the visit was Rest, and since I still wanted to cook something for my hosts and myself, Pasta seemed the choice of the hour. Preparation was kept simple and minimal, but some fine ingredients gave the dish a luxurious feel and comforting flavors. 

Fusilli with Scallions, Dried Tomatoes and Goat's Cheese

1 pckg Fusilli ( I used Tricolor )

1 cup ( about 1 small bunch ) of scallions, cut into pieces about 2 cm long

100 gr pine nuts

1 bunch arugula

125 gr dried tomatoes, sliced ( about a cup )

150-200 gr crumbly goat's cheese ( I used an Israeli type which was rather soft and crumbly with an ash coating. yum ), crumbled or grated 

about 1/4 of a cup olive oil

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. cook pasta till al dente. while the pasta cooks, warm about half the olive oil in a large skillet. Add scallions, dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. cook very shortly. When the pasta is ready and drained, combine with the sauce, stir well and remove from heat. Wait till the pasta cools a bit, then add arugula and cheese. You could either eat this immediately, or let sit and eat at room temperature. In any case, don't add the arugula too soon so that the leaves will maintain some crispness and not become cooked by the heat of the pasta. This would probably be good cold, too.