This weekend I hosted a rehearsal for a music project I’m leading, and afterward we chowed down on this pasta, with some bread and a bottle of rosé. It was all fantastic—a beautiful day full of cooking, friends, and creative music. I guess balance in life is important though, because here I am on Monday sitting on a park bench in a sleepy fog trying writing this post in 45 minutes between work and supporting a friend’s music performance. All of the following things happened today: I woke up at 5:10 am, in my rush to get out the door I spilled my smoothie all over the kitchen counter, my commute took an hour and 20 minutes one way (ok, that’s every day). Then: my coworker’s kid threw up in our office, I had to announce that we were closing for the day because our water was getting turned off (the senior center where I work is in a NYCHA building and things like this happen), and just moments later I had to announce that we were not closing after all because the water problem was fixed. Also: I killed three flies but more still flew around and around. Chaos!
For days like these a few things tend to help me: thinking about great times like the rehearsal-pasta day and knowing that they’ll happen again soon, and focusing on things that make me smile, like all of the cute wiggly French bulldogs who are out and about in the park today and the tennis-racket-shaped pasta in this recipe. Pasta shaped like tennis rackets!!!! It’s so fantastic. Ok, also a nice glass of wine helps. I’m going to go have one now. Happy Monday, friends!
Pasta with Potatoes, Savoy Cabbage, & Garlic Scape Pesto
for the pesto
- 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (about 10 to 12)
- 1/3 cup pistachios
- 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- a few grinds of black pepper
for the pasta
- 1/2 small Savoy cabbage, cored, quartered, and cut crosswise into thin slivers
- 4 medium-small waxy yellow potatoes
- 1 lb pasta (shape of your choice—I used racchette, which are little tennis rackets!)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
serves 6 to 8
- Make the pesto: Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large pot, bring a few inches of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove potatoes from the pot and set aside to cool.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cabbage and stir to coat cabbage in the butter. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cabbage is soft and slightly browned, lifting the lid to stir occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
- When the potatoes have cooled, cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain, reserving the pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet with the cabbage, and add about three quarters of the pesto and 1/2 cup pasta water, stirring to combine. Mix in the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread to create a carb triple threat!
lofigourmet.com 