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.

Fix Me, Fast, Pasta.

I came home from work this evening grumpy and cold, and for no particular reason, for that. Except the cold. It really is pretty cold these nights in Jerusalem. Add to that no special inclination towards making anything what so ever  and an gnawing sense of guilt over all that could be made out an overflowing fridge of veggies, and you'll be able to imagine just how particularly sulky and feisty I was getting.

Than my flat mate recommended the half a bunch of Asparagus left in the fridge from her dinner last night, and butter, and lemon, and a compromise with myself began to take shape. We shall make something, and it will be indulgent and wonderful, I lulled my grouchy beast, and so thirty minutes later I found my self hunched in my chair with a hot bowl of pasta in my hands, comforting as only a carb could be. Sulkiness was pacified by considerable amounts of butter and lemon was added in attempt to uplift dampened spirits. I shall not lie:  the blues were not defeated completely by this. But they sure feel a lot nicer on a full stomach.

Linguine with Asparagus and Lemony Butter Sauce

1/2 a package Linguine

1 bunch thin green Asparagus, bottom third of stalks removed

approx 50 gr butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

zest from 1/2 a lemon

juice from half a lemon

handful of Arugula, cut or torn into large pieces

a few mint leaves, chopped

3-4 sprigs of parsley, chopped

coarsely ground black pepper

salt

a few tbsp of Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Bring two pots of water to boil. Salt water and toss in Asparagus for about half a minute, drain and set aside. In the other pot set your linguine cooking, till Al Dente. In the meanwhile, prepare the sauce ( you should have your sauce ready just before the pasta is cooked): melt  part of the butter in  a saucepan, add garlic and lemon zest and cook for a few seconds. Add fresh herbs, Asparagus and Arugula, then add remaining butter, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Remove from heat.

When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sauce along with a little bit of the cooking water. Return to heat and toss for a few more seconds, till pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. Check seasoning and serve.

I find it difficult to estimate exactly how much butter I used for this recipe so please judge for yourself. In any case, You want to use enough to create a rich coating for your pasta. Also, I used half a bunch of Asparagus, because that was what we had, but as far as I'm concerned regarding this gorgeous veggie, you can't have too much. Be sure not to over cook it so it remains crisp and bright green.

Good luck taming your winter blues. Or maybe you could dwell on them, to the sounds of Gillian Welch, as I intend to do tonight.

P.S

I feel much better now. Pasta must have worked after all.