Easiest pasta dish...ever

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Haggis

Sous Chef
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
750
Location
Sydney, Australia
As we all know pasta provides ones of the best vehicles to create quick and simplistic but still extremely sophisticated (at least taste wise) dishes. However I think this may be one of the best recipes that exemplifies this, it only has 3 ingredients, so of course it is only as good as what you use.

- dried pasta (good quality dried pasta, penne works very well with this but you could use farfelle or any other fork friendly pasta shapes)

- broccoli

- bout a 100-150g of a creamy blue cheese for 1 person (this is to personal taste, if you like your blue cheese use whatever you want, if you can handle gorgonzola, roquefort or stilton go for it, if not try a gentler one. There are some blue cheeses out there that are incredibly gentle and I highly recommend anyone who is not a fan of blue cheese to try one of the milder ones (there is a brand, at least here in Australia called Castello that makes a very creamy, very gentle one) as you may have been introduced to the world of blue cheese by means of one of the big boys)


Cook your pasta (and cook it properly to those beginners out there! :P), drain it and reserve some of the cooking water.

Cook your broccoli in simmering salted water until tender then drain it. Warm a big bowl till its really quite warm. Add your cheese to the warmed bowl (helps if the cheese is already at room temperature), it will start to melt, add the still hot broccoli and the hot pasta. Mix about until the cheese has melted all over the other ingredients (if its a bit too thick, loosen it with some of the reserved pasta cooking water). Serve in warmed bowls, with plenty of black pepper.


Easy or what?
 
In the theme of simple dishes with pasta, I think this is the most simple in absolute. Is a dish of Liguria (Genova), but is now generally known all over Italy, and well used in the midnights, when you and some friends have a certain appetite.....
Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino (garlic, oil, and red pepper)
Use dry spaghetti, and cook them in boiling water for about 8 minutes.
In a little pan heat Extra virgin olive oil (two- three spoons a person) and add some thick slices (3 mm about) of garlic and a little dry red pepper crushed in the fingers. DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES!!!:mrgreen: When garlic is light brown , serve pasta with this oli, and add a generous portions of parmisan or pecorino cheese.
 
Another extremely simple,but tasty pasta dish is one we call pizza-roni. Though it is simple, it is almost elegant in that simplicity.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. good Pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded Parmesano-Regiano or Asiago
3 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I like Carapelli brand for its leafy flavor)
2 cups whole wheat Rotini or Elbow Macaroni
5 chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can sliced black olives, drained
(optional) 1/2 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage
(optional) dried Red Pepper Flakes

Cook the pasta al-dente' and drain. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium heat in a small saute' pan. Add the dried tomato and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to brown. Then, remove it from the heat.

When the pasta is drained, combine it with all other ingredients in a serving bowl and enjoy with a leafy, green salad. A splash of raspberry-vinaigarette ballances the flavors wonderfully.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 

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