Saturday, October 15, 2011

Pasta and Vegetables - a new-to-me way of cooking


Please go visit Beth Fish Reads for more cooking this weekend!




Just about a month ago, Bonnie offered a video of Kathleen Flinn making Pasta Pomodoro. Flinn suggests three things I've not done before in cooking pasta and vegetables:
1. salting the pasta water
2. adding some of that water when you sauté the vegetables
3. putting the pasta in the frypan with the vegetables after they are cooked

I've always just put the sautéed vegetables on top of the pasta, but this week I followed Kathleen Flinn's directions, using a yellow pepper, an orange pepper, and some scallions instead of tomatoes. And the result was a wonderful, delicious supper.






We ate supper on the terrace, and the view matched our meal!



In case you haven't seen the video, here it is. I really like this woman's approach to cooking.

37 comments:

  1. OK, this looks so very good and like something I can handle. My hubby is not a big pasta eater, but I think that's my fault - my way of cooking it in the past has not been wonderful. This looks simple and this is actually one of my favorite dishes to order out at an Italian restaurant. Thanks for posting this, Nan!! (And Bonnie!)

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  2. Allow I usually salt my water, I've never done numbers 2 and 3, I'll have to give it a try.

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  3. Kay, for me it's all about 'al dente' and even a little less cooking time than that! The fun quality of this recipe is you can use any veggies you like, sautéed in olive oil.

    Margot, there's a little browning that happens to the pasta which makes it taste delicious. The flavors of the pasta and veggies combine more completely.

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  4. i love pasta and vegetables and this looks delicious.

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  5. I have pretty much always done those steps and it makes a big difference. The biggest one is NOT rinsing your noodles before you sauce them -- the starch holds the liquids

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  6. Hey Nan!
    I've got some gluten free pasta and this might be just the thing for dinner!
    Oh, and glad to see your leaves decided to be SPECTACULAR as usual!
    :-)
    Oh, and I am really Kay Guest, but realized I am under Kay G. when I set this up, I forget so easily.

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  7. I always salt my water too and I learned to add pasta water to the sauteing veggies and then add the pasta to the pan with everything else from Giada on TV. It does add a lot of flavor. I like that you can add any veggies you like - yours was full of fall colors. Nice.

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  8. Where did you find this video? Are there more? I loved it. I am certain I read this woman's book a while back. Wasn't it a memoir of her culinary education? Cordon Bleu? Anyway, great video.

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  9. Yum! This looks like a very light easy tasty dish to make especially in summer with garden veggies.

    I've done all three things before depending on the recipe and browned noodles are good but I usually think of Asian for that not Italian-- funny.

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  10. That dish is so colorful and appetizing :)

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  11. Looks so good! I'm amazed that I already did two of those things when I would make a pasta dish. I just never thought of adding the pasta water to my dishes.

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  12. Jenclair, it tasted much better than my old way!

    Beth, I did know about the not rinsing, but all these other steps were new to me. I've learned a lot in my time at Weekend Cooking!

    Kay, they were actually more muted this year. Pretty but not as dramatic as some years.

    Barbara, I like G. too. I should find out when her show is one and set my dvr. I have one recipe of hers on the blog:

    http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2007/03/upsidedown-berry-crostada.html

    Reading it again reminds me that I should make it soon!

    Betsy, yes there are more. Go here:

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kathleen+flinn&aq=f

    And yes, she's the author you are thinking of!

    Lesa, you're right about the 'browned noodles.' And they are delicious.

    Yes, they are Bermuda Onion!

    And The Book Girl, the colors were beautiful in the meal and on the tree.:<)

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  13. Staci, you know, I have a vague remembrance of hearing about adding the pasta water from the Sopranos. :<)

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  14. I definitely agree with this way of cooking pasta...the starches help to coat and marry everything together. I could go for a big bowl right now, sounds delicious :D

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  15. Girlichef, I could eat it many times a week, and often do. :<)

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  16. Aha! I have an idea for supper tonight ... throw in a little Alaskan shrimp for that extra something. :) Thank you!

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  17. yes, I must say I do all three. It must be from watching Lidia B. on TV so much.

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  18. Caite, am a little embarrassed to say, I don't know who Lidia B. is. She wasn't Tony Soprano's mother, was she? But wouldn't her name have been Soprano?

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  19. I'm envious that you're still eating out on your terrace!

    We're 'al dente' pasta eaters, too, and I often add pasta water to my pesto to thin it, but, haven't tried the sauteed veggies (and sauteed pasta!) ... yum, will give it a whirl!

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  20. My hub isn't fond of pasta (only small doses) but I could eat it every day and this looks awesome.

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  21. Water, no matter what for, always gets salted in my kitchen. And I do No. 3 often, just not No. 2 :-) The meal looks delicious and the view is spectacular!

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  22. This is a lovely way to make pasta. It makes everything taste really pure and good :)

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  23. I love the Internet! This was like visiting someone's kitchen, and you always learn something when you do that. Thank you, Nan.

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  24. Dawn, it's delicious. My pesto is already pretty thin with 2/3 cup of olive oil. :<)

    http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2008/02/basil-pesto.html

    Diane, my whole family could eat it every day. :<) I believe al dente is the secret.

    Librarian, adding the bit of water to the sautéing veggies browned them nicely.

    Uniflame, I like that 'pure and good.' Just right.

    Clair, I know just what you mean. And I loved Kathleen Flinn's kitchen!

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  25. Thanks for pointing me to this video. So simple and yet so delicious. I have never salted pasta before and I always throw away the water- not any more!

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  26. This looks so good and I love the tips. I will have to try it. I love how your dinner matched the trees

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  27. I've never added the pasta to the vegetables either, Nan - I never thought about it browning and adding flavour - must try it!

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  28. Little Nell, it so pleased me to find out about this simple change. The taste is just great!

    Beth, those leaves on the maple are almost all gone now!

    Debbie, I'll be interested to hear what you think.

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  29. Yum!!! That looks delicious. Can't wait to "discover" Kathleen Flinn. Thanks for writing about her, as I'd never heard of her. I guess this is the way they do pasts in Italian restaurants I've been to where you can see them cook - so it must be good!

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  30. Karla, I'm interested in getting her books, and seeing more of her videos.

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  31. Beautiful photos, especially of the fall colors on your land! The pasta dish looks delicious.

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  32. Forgot to mention that I really enjoyed Flinn's The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry. I need to pull it off the shelf and try some of the recipes I marked with sticky notes! (My review is here) I wonder if her new book is as good.

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  33. Thanks, Les!
    I think her new one is quite different in subject matter. Actually more appealing to me, I think.

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  34. I have a recipe that I got from 'Real Simple" that says to just put the broccoli in the pasta water for the last 3 minutes. It's pretty much just that and parmesan cheese and pretty good quick meal. I'm going to try this one.

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  35. Sallie, I get RS too! Your recipe sounds great for broccoli and cheese fans!

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