PURPLE PASTA?

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

I did not know this pasta would turn out to be purple. The recipe, graciously sent to me by Jonathan, a kind reader in Florida, calls for a specific kind of gorgonzola cheese (dolce or Saga Blue), and I could only find the already-crumbled inexpensive kind. Perhaps there is a difference. Or maybe it's the ham I added. At any rate, don't let the color dissuade you from making it--it is quick, easy, and the sauce is smooth and delicious. Even if it is purple.

Penne with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

1 pound penne, with ridges

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup ham, diced

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped finely

8 ounces gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 ounces Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Cook the pasta in boiling water until firm but tender. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil. Add the ham, shallots, and walnuts, and cook over medium until the ham begins to brown and the shallots become tender and translucent. Add milk, cream, and gorgonzola, and stir and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the nutmeg and Parmesan, and toss with cooked pasta. Top with more Parmesan. Oh, and Jonathan's recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh sage, thinly sliced to be cooked with the ham and shallots. I didn't have any, but I bet it would add a nice herbal flavor to the dish. Thanks for the recipe, Jonathan!

DINNER IN A FLASH

Monday, October 3, 2005

Things are getting really busy at school--a stack of papers to grade, a presentation to prepare, reading, reading, reading, etc., and David and I made a quick jaunt to Jackson this weekend to see Jerrod and Jessie and the new baby (click here for a really cute picture of David holding him). All that to say, I'm fixing more and more dinners that can be ready on the fly (and probably these posts are going to ramble less and less).

For my busiest weeks, the formula is usually: salad, pasta, pizza, a meat dish, and something else that could use up leftovers. For this week, my pasta and salad center around gorgonzola cheese, and the phyllo spinach pie uses up all the leftover spinach from the one main-dish-and-sides night. Most all of these meals can be prepared in less than an hour, and good food that's also quick makes me happy when life is busy.

This Cobb Salad is a great example of a simple, fresh meal in not a lot of time. I am averse to salad dressings that come in a bottle, so I make my own (which takes about 2 minutes), but other than that, a little chopping, and this meal is ready.

Here's what you'll need for 2 salads:

Baby spinach leaves

Sliced ham

1 avocado, sliced

1 plum or Roma tomato, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

2 ounces blue cheese (I used gorgonzola)

Arrange the spinach on the plates. Top with everything else, arranging each ingredient in its own little stripe. Drizzle with Blue Cheese Dressing.

Here's how to make that:

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup mayonnaise, homemade if you've got it

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Juice of half a lemon

2 ounces blue cheese (again, gorgonzola for me)

Add the garlic clove to the food processor with the motor running; when it's minced, add everything else.

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