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M is for… Malta; Cleaning Out the Pantry

Hello

Flag of Malta

Guess who’s leaving for vacation on Tuesday… this girl! I’ll be gone for almost two weeks so of course I need to start emptying out my fridge. I still had some left over scallions from my Korean dish, some spinach and eggs so it seemed like the perfect time to make Froga tat-Tarja, a Maltese dish I’d read about. Malta is a country made up of a series of small islands in the Mediterranean.

With its unique position between Sicily and North Africa and history of colonization by foreign powers such as Greeks, Arabs, France and England the culture is an interesting mashup of all. The Maltese have their own language, which is actually Semitic, but they’ve borrowed heavily from Italian and English which you’ll notice it the greeting at the top of this post. Similarly the food of Malta bears many of the same dishes as Sicily, but often use spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Froga tat-Tarja is a Vermicelli (or Angel Hair) omelette. In my research I found that there are only two absolutely necessary ingredients; thin pasta and eggs. Once you have that as a base you can use anything you want. My mind reeled with possibilities. Maltese cooks use leftover chicken or whatever veggies they have lying around. I’d seen several recipes online that used pancetta, a few that used ricotta and one that even used tomato sauce, but I’m leaving soon so I needed to start getting rid of what I had in the fridge. A quick look turned up some spinach, parmesan cheese and scallions still left from my Korean dish and a recipe was born!

Froga tat-Tarja

  • 3 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions or to taste
  • A couple of handfuls torn baby spinach
  • 1-2 teaspoons nutmeg or to taste
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 1/2 lb cooked Angel Hair (or other thin pasta), room temperature
  • Olive oil for frying

Crack eggs in to a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper and beat eggs as you would to make scrambled eggs.

Stir in cheese, scallions, spinach and spices then fold in the pasta mixing well to make sure the pasta is coated and the mixture is well incorporated.

In a medium saute or frying pan heat olive oil over medium high heat. Pour the pasta mixture in to the pan and smooth out to form an even layer. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes then flip and cook about 5 minutes more.

Turn out on to a plate, slice in to wedges and serve with a light salad.

Serves 4 as an entrée, 6 as an appetizer.

FINAL VERDICT: B

What a great use for leftovers! The texture of this dish is wonderful; crispy in the outside and sort of fluffy/spongy on the inside. I didn’t love the spice I used, but I will definitely make this again and would love to try it with ricotta, garlic and whatever else I have lying around.

I ate this with a simple tomato and cucumber salad and some leftover sauteed eggplant. Lovely with a glass of white wine

Tajba Tiekol!

********

I’ll be leaving on a jet plane tomorrow at 5:30pm. I doubt I’ll do any blogging while I’m away so don’t expect much from me for the next couple of weeks.

L is for… Latvia; Grandmother Approved

Sveiki

Flag of Latvia

My grandmother came to America as a refugee from Nazi Germany at age 13. As one might imagine she as well as my great grandparents and my grandfather, who was also a German Jewish refugee, had no love loss for Germany, but still there were some foods from their youth that they enjoyed from time to time. Though I wouldn’t say I grew up with an abundance of German food, we did dine on it from time to time and I enjoyed it except for that dark, almost black, rye bread that’s so ubiquitous in Northern Europe.

Everyone in my family loves that dark rye which is dense and coarse and has almost a moist quality to it, but I’ve just never developed a taste for it. Even after living in Denmark, where their black bread is considered so flavorful that Oprah herself fell so in love with it after a visit and had several loaves shipped to her back home, I still didn’t become a fan. When I found this recipe for Rūpjmaizes Kārtojums, Latvian rye bread trifle I was intrigued then when it turned out that I would be up to “L” just when my grandmother, who I adore, was coming for a visit I knew it was meant to be!

My grandmother adores all of her grandkids, but I’m her only girl so we have a special relationship (and by special I mean I’m the clear favorite ;)). My grandma cooked because she had to and not because she wanted to. She and my grandfather raised 2 kids in a one bedroom apartment on a delivery man’s salary so she wasn’t exactly filled with a desire or the ability to get creative in the kitchen. Nonetheless she was a pretty good cook, but she is endlessly fascinated and proud at my love and ability in the kitchen so cooking for her is always a pleasure.

Me and Grandma, then and now.

This is very much a “to taste recipe,” and, since my family doesn’t like very sweet things, I went light on sugar and didn’t sweeten the cream at all. In my research I learned that the dessert was traditionally made with ligonberries or cranberries, but is now commonly made with whatever you have on hand. Since raspberries are plentiful at the farmers market that’s what I went with. If you make this yourself you can sweeten the cream to your taste and use whatever fruit preserves you like. Make sure to use the darkest German rye bread you can find or use German pumpernickel as I did.

Rūpjmaizes Kārtojums

  • 5-6 slices of day old dark German style rye (or pumpernickel) bread grated or crumbled
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon or to taste
  • Quick raspberry jam (recipe follows) or store bought preserves
  • 8-10 ounces very cold cream
  • 1-2 teaspoons vanilla or to taste

Place a metal bowl and the beaters from your handheld mixer in the freezer until very cold.

In medium skillet over medium high heat melt butter then add the bread crumbs, sugar and cinnamon; stirring to coat and cook until toasted, 3-5 minutes being careful not to burn the crumbs. Let cool to at least room temperature and set aside.

Meanwhile make the whipped cream. Take your bowl and beaters from the freezer and pour your cream in. Beat to medium peaks. Add the vanilla and beat to stiff peaks.

In a glass bowl, trifle dish or individual glasses or ramekins place a layer of rye crumbs, then a whipped cream and finally a layer of raspberry jam. Repeat until ending with a layer of crumbs, dollop of whipped cream and drizzle of jam.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Serves 6

Quick Raspberry Jam

  • 2 pints raspberries
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and smash the raspberries a bit with a spoon. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cool completely before using.

This will be fairly tart so add less lemon and more sugar if you want it sweeter.

FINAL VERDICT: A+

That’s right kids, my first A+ was made with an ingredient I usually hate.

My grandmother exclaimed, “It’s delicious and not too sweet.” “Not too sweet,” is a huge compliment in my family. My dad declared, “This is reeeeaally good,” and my mom instructed, “Al, this has to be and ‘A’ recipe,” unaware that I would even consider giving out an A+. The next day when I spoke to my mom on the phone (we do that every day, adorbs no?) she said, “That was so good, I must get the recipe from you!”

So in case you haven’t guessed yet, I loved this dish. I am so much more of a savory eater than a dessert eater, as is my whole family, so I’m shocked that my first A+ is for a dessert, but this recipe was perfect. I will definitely make this again and will not change one thing!

Yes, I’m so ghetto that I put this in tupperware. Don’t judge!

Labu Apetīti!

K is for… Korea; Reunification On My Plate

Flag of South Korea

Ok ok so Korea is not technically a country, but cut me a little slack here as I’m currently filled with the Olympic spirit.

Seriously I am certified Olympics nerd. I love every single thing about the Olympics. The pomp and circumstance, the citizens of the world coming together, the spirit of competition. I DVR every bit of it, grab the kleenex to get me through the wonderful personal stories and cheer for favorites and underdogs alike. I also have a strict “make no plans during the opening ceremonies policy,” so this past Friday night I settled in with a bottle of wine, my mock soy sauce and a everything I would need to make Haemul Pajeon.

I am addicted to Mama O’s Kimchi!

It was a lovely evening. David Beckham was in a suit. On a boat. With the wind blowing through his hair….  Oh err, sorry we were talking about the opening ceremonies and my Korean (but seriously how good did he look in that suit.)

I had expected my head to explode from excitement being that I am both a total Olympics nerd and a huge anglophile, but like most people I found these opening ceremonies a bit disappointing except for the part with David Beckham in a suit on a b… ooohh there I go again, sorry!

They weren’t bad, just a bit underwhelming. Still the part I look forward to most, the parade of nations, was as joyous and heartwarming as ever. My favorite’s are the countries that have one or two athletes. Can you even imagine the pride and excitement? I’m sure for these athletes just being there is a victory in itself and I contend that even the lowest ranked Olympian in any sport is still a thousand times better than myself and pretty much anyone reading this blog at their particular sport.

GO TEAM USA!

Frying away

Haemul Pajeon

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cloves garlic; crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • Mixed seafood (I used about 10 shrimp cut in half lengthwise a 6 jumbo scallops cut in to bite sized pieces)
  • 1 cup scallions; green parts only, sliced in about one inch sections
  • Vegetable oil for cooking
  • Dipping sauce (recipe follows)

In a mixing bowl combine flour, water, eggs, garlic and sauce. Gently fold in seafood.

Heat a bit of the oil in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, scatter some of the scallions in the pan and cook one minute.

Ladle some of the batter over the scallions, covering them completely and allow to cook until the underside is browned and firm enough to flip; about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of your pancake.

Use two spatulas to flip that pancake and cook 5 more minutes.

Cut in to wedges and serve with dipping sauce, rice and kimchi.

Yield 3-5 pancakes depending on how big you make them

Dipping Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons mock soy sauce (or real if you can have it)
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Hot red pepper of chili flakes to taste

FINAL VERDICT: B

This is one of those recipes that could definitely be an “A” with a little tweaking. It was tasty and I liked the texture a lot, but I wish I’d used more scallions and more garlic to give it more flavor. Also next time I’d like to make them a bit thinner. I could, however, just drink shots of that dipping sauce. YUM!

Perfect Olympic meal. I had left over brown rice so that’s what I had long with some kimchi. I forgot to put the dipping sauce in the picture.

Oh What a Night!

Oh geez, I am so behind on blogging! OK, let’s dive right back in with something awesome.

On Thursday night I attended the Taste of the Marcellus (TOTM) event, a fundraiser for the Chefs for the Marcellus which is fighting to protect New York from the dangerous practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) which threatens our drinking water and food supply. It’s an issue I can about very much and the fact that so many fellow local foodies are leading the charge on fighting makes my heart sing.

Originally I was only going to attend the TOTM after-party because my broke ass current financial situation didn’t allow me to afford a ticket to the main event, but I was contacted by someone from Chefs for the Marcellus (C4M) and asked to help them promote the event and I was more than happy to help. Doing the right thing for a good cause is something I never have a problem saying yes too and I felt good doing my part, but the day before the event my contact at C4M asked if I’d like to attend the main event as her guest as a thank you for my help. That was some pretty sweet icing on the do-gooder cake.

 The event was AWESOME!

OK first let me get this out of the way; I didn’t eat anything at the event. This type of event is really hard with my food allergies especially as there was a focus on local seasonal foods which meant a lot of peaches (deadly) and legumes (also deadly), but for a food nerd like me, just being in the presence of great chefs and seeing them create is special even if I can’t eat what they serve. Besides I had a nice big meal before I left my apartment to keep me going all night.

The event was at Brooklyn Winery, a beautiful space in a neighborhood I hate; Williamsburg, but being the concerned citizen I am braved the subway full of pretentious hipsters and was richly rewarded. Brooklyn winery has a rustic charm with its dark wood paneling, planters running the length of walls that stretch up to ceilings 18 feet off the ground and an atrium room with a glass roof which was especially cool on a stormy night like we had on Thursday.

The space was filled with stations serving bites from some of the top restaurants in New York City and at each station there were different Finger Lakes region wines or Brewery Ommegang beers to pair your food with. I may not have been able to eat, but don’t worry I enjoyed the beverage selection just fine… Everyone raved about the food which included selections like; Chicken Meatballs with Pesto and Corn Salad, Black Forbidden “Fried Rice” with Oxtail and Seasonal Vegetables and Blueberry Brown Butter Cakes with Black Raspberry Compote. The two most famous chefs there, who you’ve probably seen on TV before, Chris Santos and Elizabeth Faulkner offered Whipped Ricotta Jewel on Toast with Grilled Peaches, Chili Basil and Honey and Summer Squash and Peach Salad with Ricotta and Almonds respectively.

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Aside from the abundance of beautiful food, wine and beer and the lovely setting, the atmosphere was truly something special. Imagine me, a progressive-lefty-social justice freak-environmentalist-foodie in a room filled with like minded people. I met so many amazing people working in food policy and environmental issues and everyone there was ready to lend their voices to stop fracking in New York State, including Josh Fox; Writer and Director of Oscar nominated documentary about fracking, Gasland and Hilary Baum, who’s pretty much the superhero of sustainable food.

Though the seriousness and urgency of the issue wasn’t dumbed down or shied away from, the vibe of the event was hopeful, not dire and it energized the crowd to keep on fighting.

On a personal note I also met one of my idols, nutritionist and Food Network star Ellie Krieger. It was definitely a full geek-out moment for me as I’ve admired her for years and share her philosophy on food. She was with two friends who were also dietitians and were so so nice to me. We spent a good few minutes discussing the way America eats, the body image crisis for young girls here and my own personal journey with weight. She is so warm and totally gorgeous (seriously her skin glows!).

All in all it was an amazing night which reminded me how important it is to protect our food, water and air.

Learn more and get involved in the fight against fracking here: http://gaslandthemovie.com/

Actual Proof That Mario Batali Loves Me

Unfortunately you have to get through one quick commercial first, but then skip to 2:50 in and you’ll see Clinton read a tweet from me (26 Dishes) and then listen to what Mario says after. 

I know, I know, you’re thinking, “Umm Alli, Mario was just joking around and doesn’t actually know you or know who he’s talking about,” but you’re wrong! This is just more proof that he and I are cosmically connected. 😉

http://abc.go.com/watch/the-chew/SH55125610/VD55222196/the-chew-725

xoxo,
Your favorite Batali Stalker

PS- If you live in the New York Area, don’t forget the Taste of the Marcellus event is tonight at Brooklyn Winery, with an after party to follow at Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets to the main event are $75 in advance with discount code FNF1 or $125 at the door (http://bit.ly/TasteTix). Tickets to the after party are $25 in advance or at the door.

Taste of the Marcellus July 26th 2012

In case it’s not obvious, I love food. I’m a big believer though, that if you’re passionate about food it can’t just be about cooking and eating food. To be a truly passionate foodie, you have to also care about that food before it comes to your pot or plate. I believe that passionate foodies should put as much of that energy in to caring about where that food came from, what’s in it, how the workers who produced it were treated, etc as they do making food taste good and so I am always delighted when I hear about other foodies who feel the same.

One such group of concerned foodies is an organization called, Chefs for the Marcellus (C4M). C4M, according to their website, is, “A group of chefs, restauranteurs and food professionals who have come together to protect our regional foodshed [in New York State] from the dangers of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.”

Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is a practice which extracts natural gas deep from within the earth by forcing highly toxic chemicals in to the ground. The practice is riddled with problems and accidents which cause those chemicals to leach in to the area water supply, contaminating not only your water, but your food supply as well (you can’t grown food without water after all) which is why so many area chefs and breweries (beer starts with water) have become involved in the fight to stop it in New York State.

To help raise awareness, C4M has planned a great event this Thursday, July 26th, right here in New York City! The event will feature food cooked by an all-star line up of chefs and will feature beer and wine from the Marcellus Water Gap region of New York.  Plus there’s an awesome after party to follow! Though the main event looks amazing and is certainly fairly priced, it’s a more than I’m able to spend ($125). Tickets for the after-party however are only $25, can be purchased separately and you’ll get a chance to support a great cause and meet those star chefs who will be attending the after party too!

Tickets can be purchased here: http://bit.ly/TasteTix (after party is down at the bottom). Tickets must be purchased in advance; no tickets will be sold at the door. UPDATE: TICKETS CAN NOW BE PURCHASED AT THE DOOR FOR BOTH THE MAIN EVENT AND THE AFTER PARTY.
I know that only a few of my readers are from the New York area, but I hope those that are will consider attending and I hope all of my readers will pass this on to their NYC area friends and encourage them to attend.
I hope to see some of you reading this right now on Thursday so look for me. I’m like short brunette who’ll be smiling from ear to ear with excitement!

J is for… Japan; All You Need is An Ice Cube Tray

Japanese Flag

Like all other Asian food establishments, it’s nearly impossible for me to eat at a Japanese restaurant, what with all that sesame and soy, but I’ve actually had Sushi before. Back when I was living in Boston I had one of those tiny little original Whole Foods (I think it may have been the first on the East Coast) right near my apartment and I frequented it often. I got to know one on the Sushi chefs there and he started making me Alli-allergy-approved salmon rolls. He rolled cooked salmon (I’ve tried raw fish several times and it’s not my thing), cucumbers and carrots in a layer of nori and rice on a clean work surface free of sesame seeds. I skipped the non-Alli-allergy-friendly soy sauce and enjoyed a bit of wasabi and pickled ginger, which I could eat a bucket full of, as accompaniments.

That was 7 years ago and I’ve missed sushi ever since so when I was ready to make a recipe for the letter “J,” Japanese Sushi seemed a logical choice. Then “J” got closer and I started thinking about logistics. “Do I really want to buy a Sushi mat? How often would I really use it? What if I just made Chirashizushi, Sushi bowls, they’re legit Japanese, I know I looked it up. But that’s just too easy and boring, right? Maybe I should look up some Jamaican recipes…”

And so the inner monologue went until a few weeks ago when I stumbled on a recipe for mock soy sauce that people claimed tasted like the real thing and I reeeally reeeally wanted to make Sushi! Still the logistical problems remained so I did what anyone would do in 2012, I took to Wikipedia and looked up the various types of Sushi. My best bet seemed Oshizushi or box sushi, a specialty in Osaka where the ingredients are placed on the bottom of a box, rice is placed on top and then the whole thing is pressed together firmly, unmolded, cut in to squares and served. Oshizushi Seemed like the best bet, but where to get the box? Then it occurred to me; ice cube tray sushi.

Silicon trays work best

Using an ice cube tray to make sushi was something I’d heard about awhile ago and filed somewhere in the back of my mind (a scary, messy, disorganized space; I assure you!). I’d seen the idea in several places touted as a way to get kids to try Sushi* and I just adored it (kids in the kitchen yeah!), but I realized there was no reason I couldn’t use an ice cube tray too. Ok, ok so it’s not really authentic, but I’ve been really good up until now so cut me a little slack!

I had a hard time deciding on toppings because I wanted to at least keep that part authentic, but sushi has become so ubiqutes these days that it’s hard to tell what’s authentically Japanese and what’s not at this point so I kept it simple. I decided on thinly sliced cucumber, thin Japanese omelette and salmon roe. The roe was a bit of a splurge, but once in a while you just have to!

I followed Alton Brown’s recipe for making Sushi Rice which could not have been easier. I put a slice of cucumber in each square of the tray, followed buy a few strips of omelette, another piece of cucumber and then the rice and packed everything down firmly and unmolded them on to a plate and topped them with the roe. Of course there was wasabi, pickled ginger and mock soy sauce on the side too. And…

It. Was. Amazing!!

FINAL VERDICT: A

I’m sorry that there’s not really a recipe with this, but it’s really more of a technique then a recipe. I will so so soooo be making this again with a variety of different ingredients, authentic and otherwise. The only change I’d make is that I think I’ll just mold the rice in the trays and then stack everything else on top. Some of the toppings slipped off a bit after unmolding and I realized it’s really only necessary to mold the rice.

PS- *For anyone saying, “Kids won’t eat Sushi, they only eat chicken fingers,” go visit my friend Erin’s blog and ask her what her beautiful daughter eats!

Erin- I fully expect Katherine to be eating ice cube tray Sushi some time in the next few years.

Broiled Fish with Grapefruit Salsa

I worked out a lot this week. I worked out a lot last week too. Working out sucks which is why I try to avoid it as much as possible. I truly believe that every single person who claims to love working out must be lying. Sitting on my couch watching trashy reality tv = fun; working out = not fun. I (grudgingly) work out because it’s good for me, not because I enjoy it.

Anyway for some odd reason that even I myself haven’t figured out, I’ve gone from the absolute bare minimum of working out to working out almost every day for the past 2.5 weeks which in turn has left me tired. As much as I hate working out, even I can admit that it’s the good kind of tired, but tired none the less.

I was craving a meal that was light, fresh and bright and was inspired to make some simple broiled fish, in this case Arctic Char, with a grapefruit salsa. This was super simple to make and took very little time and was perfect for my workout weary body.

I did almost nothing to the fish, so there’s no real recipe there, but I did want to share this awesome trick I got from my friend Heather. I used to broil my fish in individual packets, but the last time I was at Heather’s she cooked up some salmon and placed all the filets on one piece of foil and folded it in on three sides, creating a packet with no top. She then loosely placed another piece of foil on top to cover the fish. That way you can easily check the fish for doneness without having to pull apart a packet and without risking steam burns.

Grapefruit Salsa

  • 1 large grapefruit
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper; finely chopped
  • 2 scallions; finely sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon cilantro; torn
  • A few squeezes of honey to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • A drizzle of olive oil

Supreme the grapefruit and then roughly chop the segments. Toss into a bowl. Add jalapeno, scallions, honey, cilantro, salt and pepper. Toss together, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Serve over fish.

I really love the tang of grapefruit and the heat of the jalapeno, so I add just enough honey to round everything out, but not to add enough to add much sweetness. If you prefer things a little sweeter just add more honey.

I despise (if I could think of a stronger word I would use it) raw onions, but it you like them you could definitely use finely chopped red onions in place of the scallions whcich would add a nice color contrast.

I served this over brown rice.

Enjoy!

Summer “Pasta” (Zucchini Ribbons with Sauteed Veggies and Mascarpone)

Last night I made one of my absolute favorite meals, zucchini “pasta” with seasonal veggies and mascarpone cheese. If I had to list the top 10 dishes I make, this meal would very likely be on it. Not only is it absolutely delicious, it also speaks so much to how I see food. It uses local seasonal ingredients I bought at the farmers market and it makes the veggies the star of the show. I limit meat consumption not only by eating plenty of vegetarian meals, but also by making dishes where the meat is the guest star and not the main act. This whole recipe uses only 1/4 pound of pancetta for the whole dish (and certainly could be made totally vegetarian). This recipe also represents so much of what I believe about healthy living and eating. Now, take a deep breath and put that frozen “Jenny Craig monosodiumdycalcitride glucolaurelatepathos may contain rat poison, but it only has 2 grams of fat and 100 calories” meal down and listen to me; I used 1/4 pound of pancetta and 2 oz of mascarpone. I used very small amounts of two fairly fatty foods to add a ton of flavor. So I used a little and got a lot, got it? Plus this meal was fresh, natural and had a ton of nutrients from all the vegetables and I’ll take a little real fat over fat-free chemicals any day!

Zucchini “Pasta” with Seasonal Veggies and Mascarpone

  • 4 medium zucchini (I like using 2 green and 2 yellow because it looks prettier)
  • 1/4lb pancetta (optional if making vegetarian)
  • 1 large onion; sliced
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2-4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes; halved
  • 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves (or more or less to taste)
  • 2 oz mascarpone cheese

Using a vegetable peeler make thin strips of zucchini, working down all sides until you get to the seeds. Set ribbons aside and cube up the inside, seeded part of the zucchini (You could just discard them, but I think that’s a waste of food and they’re delicious). Set aside.

Cut pancetta in small cubes, then in large saute pan cook over medium high meat until pancetta is crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon remove pancetta to a plate covered with paper towels. Drain then transfer to a serving bowl. Do not discard the fat from the pan, if there is too much fat pour some out to leave you with a couple of tablespoons in the pan. If you’re keeping the recipe vegetarian skip and heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for the next step.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to boil. When water is boiling add salt and zucchini ribbons and cooks for about 5 minutes until ribbons are tender. Strain through colander then set aside in serving bowl with pancetta.

Lower the heat to medium and add onions and cubed zucchini to the pancetta grease with some salt and pepper to taste (go light on the salt since pancetta is salty, if you’re not using pancetta you can be a little more liberal) and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 more minutes.

Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook until tomatoes just begin to soften and lose their shape a bit, about 3-4 minutes. You don’t want the tomatoes to turn to mush.

Gently toss the sautéed veggie mixture into the “pasta” and pancetta. Stir in the basil. Gently fold in the mascarpone until it’s all melted and the veggies are coated.

Serve with an extra dollop of mascarpone and more basil on top.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Tips:

I think this recipe might look prettier if you didn’t mix the sauce into the ribbons in a big serving bowl and instead put the “pasta” in your individual bowl and then piled the veggie/mascarpone mixture on top. I put everything in one bowl because space is at a premium in my apartment.

If you keep this vegetarian I might try adding some parmesan cheese for a salty kick. Or if you find mascarpone too bland without the pancetta, you could replace it with creme fraiche, which is a totally different flavor, but adds a great tang.