When the weather gets warmer, cooking should get easier. No one wants to stand in front of a hot stove with 18 pans going full force. Spring and summer are the best times for pasta salads and pasta dishes made with sauces that require no cooking. Pesto is one example. It requires a few basic ingredients and a food processor…no pots, pans, or stovetop.

Another great example is this artichoke sauce that I threw together one night many moons ago. It basically came to be as I ransacked my pantry one night after coming home from one of the boy’s baseball games. With no real idea what to make, I grabbed pasta and a can of artichoke hearts…the rest is history.

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. While the water heats, begin the sauce by draining one 14oz can of artichoke hearts. Add the artichoke hearts to the bowl of a food processor. Then add 1/4c walnuts, 3/4c grated Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano, 1Tbsp lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Begin to process and with the machine running, add about 1/2c olive oil. Process until fully blended and smooth. Reserve some of the pasta water, and add the artichoke sauce directly to the drained pasta. Add the reserved water a little at a time to thin out the sauce as necessary.

Easy. Fast. Deliciousness… with no cooking. Total winner.

Buon Appetito!

I know many people who literally cannot eat if they are upset or anxious. When nerves run high, food is the last thing on their mind.

Are. You. Kidding. Me?!

For me, there is definitely a comfort that only food can bring. I have many a time taken a nose dive into a bag of Doritos. I am thrilled to report that there is no shame in eating Nutella right out the jar with a spoon. And anyone who grew up in an Italian household will tell you that there is absolutely nothing more comforting than slowly sipping a warm bowl of pastina made just for you by Mamma or Nonna. For me…it isn’t just the actual act of eating the food that brings comfort…it is also the act of preparing the food. No matter what is going on, focusing on a task…even one as mundane as cooking dinner, gives you purpose. Purpose is comforting.

In the midst of all this craziness that is going on in the world around us…what is the one thing that people are still doing? They are cooking (some more than they have ever cooked in their lives). They are sitting down and eating dinner with their families. They are trying new things. They are doing the mundane to keep their minds off the uncertainty and horror and sadness around them.

When I was growing up, I had a lot of “American” friends. There was always a certain thrill to being invited to their house for dinner. Things my parents considered “American’ food like frozen, boxed, or canned meals were not as much foreign as they were almost forbidden. Having boxed mac and cheese was about as processed as we were allowed, and it was like a national holiday when we actually got to eat it! As a kid,”Pasta e Fagioli” somehow just didn’t have the same appeal as a hot dog or frozen fish sticks.

Fast forward to being a grown up and now it’s the hot dogs and fish sticks that lack appeal and the Pasta e Fagioli that call my name. This classic Italian soup is easy to make, healthy to eat, and as comforting as they come.

Begin with 4oz of diced pancetta or bacon. Cook on medium heat in 2Tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven until browned or crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pot and drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Then add 1 chopped medium yellow onion to the oil in the pot and saute until soft. Add 1tsp dried Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes. Next, add two finely minced garlic cloves and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Deglaze with 1/4c white wine…scarping up all the bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then add 1Qt chicken stock, 1 28oz can of peeled crushed tomatoes, 1c water, and 2 15oz cans of beans (I used 1 can of cannellini and one can of red kidney beans). Make sure to rinse the beans before adding them to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and allow to simmer 30 minutes. Mix well and add 1c ditalini pasta. Cook 8 minutes and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. When the pasta is cooked, sprinkle a good amount of Parmigiano on the soup and add the cooked pancetta. Give a good stir and serve with more Parmigiano and a loaf of crusty bread.

This soup is one of my mom’s favorites..though she puts her own spin on it. As a child, I dreaded the nights that she put this on the menu for dinner…and I would have given anything for a burger… today I would give my soul to share a bowl of this with her.

In these completely jacked up times, I hope you all find comfort in each other and in the wonderful meals you make and share… together. Buon appetito, my friends.

Kudos to those who can live without carbs. I could probably manage without the potatoes, apples, sugars, and even breads. But life without pasta?! Total insanity. I cringe just thinking about it. At any given time there is enough pasta in my pantry to feed an army. I buy pasta every time I go to the grocery store…whether I need to or not. I may run out of milk, eggs, or coffee (no scratch that…coffee is right up there with pasta), but I NEVER run out of pasta.

Growing up, dinner wasn’t dinner if there was no pasta. I remember neighborhood friends who would stay for dinner would marvel at our “fancy dinner” and I would think, “Fancy? It’s pasta.”

Today, while I don’t exactly eat pasta everyday (although I could), pasta is my go to for everything.

No idea what to make for dinner? Pasta.

Late dinner after soccer? Pasta.

People over for a dinner party? Pasta.

Pasta? Pasta.

How can you go wrong? You boil water. Add the pasta. Set the timer to the indicated cooking time for al dente. Now “al dente” is the number one most important thing to remember at all times when cooking pasta. Over-cooking is a crime, and it should be avoided at all costs. Seriously.

So what does one put on this said “perfectly cooked” pasta? Well…that answer could take pages and pages. It all depends on what you feel like, what you have on hand, and what you have planned for. You can never go wrong with a basic tomato sauce…and I don’t mean one from a jar (sorry, but NO!). If you have olive oil, a small yellow onion, a can of whole peeled tomatoes, and salt and pepper…in less than 30 minutes you have sauce.

Sitting down to a perfectly cooked dish of spaghetti is truly good for the soul. It is satisfying. It is delectable. It is simple. It is pasta.