Pasta in all its many shapes has become a mainstay of many home-cooked meals. Simplicity and versatility are among its draws. Summer’s bounty of fresh vegetables can inspire new toppings.
Here, small eggplants and white beans make a rustic, well-flavored dish. A colorful salad, also of seasonal produce, and hearty Italian bread round out the menu.
Cooks often forget that most pasta shapes can be cooked a day or so in advance, then reheated with the sauce or topping at serving time. Simply drain cooked pasta (it should be just slightly underdone) and toss with a little olive or vegetable oil before refrigerating it.
To reheat, put sauce and pasta in saucepan. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until heated through. You can also reheat pasta with sauce in a microwave oven. Put pasta and sauce in a microwave dish; cover to prevent splattering but vent slightly to allow steam to escape.
Penne with herbed white beans, eggplant and onions
Chopped tomato, arugula and red onion salad
Italian bread and chili-garlic butter
Orange sorbet
Sauvignon blanc
PENNE WITH HERBED WHITE BEANS, EGGPLANT AND ONIONS
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Use baby or Japanese eggplant; they’re less bitter than their larger kin so they don’t need to be salted and drained before cooking.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, halved crosswise, cut in thin wedges
4 baby eggplants, diced
1 dried red chili, minced, or 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 medium red bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed, drained
1 box (16 ounces) penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
Grated Parmesan cheese
1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add onion, eggplant, dried chili and salt. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables brown at edges, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth and beans; cook to heat through. Drain pasta thoroughly and place in large bowl; add vegetables and rosemary. Toss to combine. Add salt to taste. Serve with cheese.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 635 Fat ………… 9 g Saturated fat .. 1.3 g
% calories from fat .. 13 Cholesterol … 0 mg Sodium …….. 360 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 116 g Protein ……. 23 g Fiber ……….. 13 g
CHOPPED TOMATO, ARUGULA AND RED ONION SALAD
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 pint teardrop or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
1 small bunch arugula, about 2 ounces, chopped
6 to 8 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Combine onion, tomatoes, arugula and basil in salad bowl. Add oil; toss to coat. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste; toss to mix. Serve well chilled.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……… 110 Fat ……….. 10 g Sat. fat ….. 1.4 g
% cal. from fat … 79 Chol. ……… 0 mg Sodium …….. 8 mg
Carb. ………… 5 g Protein …….. 1 g Fiber …….. 1.2 g
CHILI-GARLIC BUTTER
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1/2 cup
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in small, heavy skillet. Add garlic and chili flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is tender but not brown, 4-5 minutes. Cool slightly.
2. Stir together garlic mixture and remaining butter in small bowl. Spoon into small ramekin or butter crock, if desired. Serve with warm Italian bread.
Nutrition information per tablespoon:
Calories ………… 105 Fat ………… 12 g Saturated fat .. 7 g
% calories from fat .. 98 Cholesterol … 30 mg Sodium …….. 2 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 0.3 g Protein ……. 0.2 g Fiber ………. 0 g
