We’re Staying At Home – So Lets Cook! 5 Pasta Recipes to Make in Less Than 30 Minutes.

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As we face the COVID-19 pandemic it’s fair to say that Saving Our World right now means Staying at Home. And with restaurants closing or limited to take-out, and a lot of people facing reduced incomes, we could all be cooking more now. Here are 5 easy and quick recipes for pasta that will be more interesting, healthier and sustainable than a jar of pre-made sauce. I have added an extra bonus super-emergency recipe with non-perishable only ingredients. You’ll notice that I love, love and love NYT Cooking! Whether you’re a beginner, old-hand or special-occasion-only cook, you can’t help but be inspired by the recipes they put out. I highly recommend following NYT Cooking on social media or subscribing to their weekly newsletter for constant inspiration!

Seared Scallops in Saffron Cream Sauce Over Linguini

Put water and a pinch of salt in a large pot to boil. Cook Organic Linguini per instructions on the package (2-3 oz per person). While pasta cooks: Rinse and pat dry scallops ( 3-5 per person) and set aside. In a small bowl place 2 pinches of saffron and cover with 3 T of hot water, set aside. Melt 3 T organic butter in a frying pan and add scallops as soon as butter starts to bubble. On medium-high heat let scallops sear 30 seconds on each side . Take out of pan (leaving the butter) and place on a plate. In the pan add 3 organic shallots, minced. Let cook on medium high until golden, about 2 minutes. Add saffron with its water and 6 ounces of organic dry white wine. Lower heat and Let liquid simmer for a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol and reduce to a gravy-consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 6 ounces of organic fresh cream and bring back to a simmer. Return scallops to the pan long enough to re-heat and add cooked linguini to pan. Toss linguini until it’s completely coated with the saffron sauce and turn out pasta onto a serving dish. Garnish with chopped organic chives or scallions.

Spaghetti, Mint Pesto and Olives Topped with Lamb Sausage.

mess- free way to cook sausage. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put a large pot of water to boil with a pinch of sea-salt. Cook 6 oz of organic spaghetti per package instructions. In a blender or food processor add 2 cups of fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup olive oil, 8 cloves of garlic, the juice of one lemon and 1/3 cups pine-nuts (pistachios, almonds or walnuts work too, I tend to use whatever I have in the pantry and I haven’t been disappointed yet). Blend until smooth, add sea-salt to taste and set aside. Slice 2 links of lamb sausage in half length-wise and lay skin-side down on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake for 12 minutes until sausage is crispy on the edges. When pasta is ready, save 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Drain pasta return to the pot. Add pasta-water and mint pesto ( I save a spoonful for each serving to top off each plate) and toss until pasta is evenly coated. Divide pasta onto three plates and top with 1 T of the reserved pesto, a third of the sausage, and a handful of Kalamata olives.

Soba Noodle Stir-fry with Asian Vegetables and Shrimp

the pan so it’s ready to mix together around the same time. Put a large pot of water to boil, add a pinch of sea-salt. Make the Sauce by mixing together in a small bowl 1/3 cup soy-sauce, 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil, 2 T rice vinegar, 2 T sugar, red chili flakes to taste, and set aside. Heat 2 T of safflower or canola oil in wok or stainless steel frying pan over medium heat. Add 3 large cloves organic garlic and two inches of fresh organic ginger, peeled and minced, to the pan and toast for about a minute. Add peeled and de-veined raw shrimp ( I usually add 12 large shrimp for 3 servings) and cook a minute on each side, so they are cooked through but haven’t started to shrink. Transfer shrimp from pan to a plate and set aside Add 1 additional T of oil, 3 organic carrots, I chop them in rounds or half-rounds for larger carrots, 1 head of organic bock-Choi coarsely chopped and 3 Daikon or Japanese radishes (conventional radishes work too but if you can find the Daikon they’re sweeter). Stir quickly over medium heat for 2 minutes. Return shrimp to pan, drain noodles and add to vegetables and shrimp. Pour sauce over it all and toss in pan over low heat until evenly covered. Serve immediately.

Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Spinach and Rosemary

Ricotta Dumplings with Buttered Greens and Parmesan.

Alison Roman’s recipe for Ricotta Dumplings with Buttered Peas & Asparagus but I didn’t have peas or asparagus, or the leeks she calls for, in the house! I followed Roman’s recipe for the dumplings and then sauteed 1 head of organic broccolini, stems trimmed, in the butter for about three minutes, added 1 bunch of organic spinach and cooked until wilted, about a minute, then turned off the heat. Before transferring the vegetables to the dumplings I stirred in 1 bunch of organic parsley, roughly chopped. Once assembled I topped it all with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020204-ricotta-dumplings-with-buttered-peas-and-asparagus

A Non-Perishable Pasta Dinner

A family member who loves anchovies gave this to me and I think it’s a very elegant emergency meal: Boil 4-6 ounces of pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside. Put the pot back on the stove at a lower heat, add 2-3 T organic olive oil, 4-6 cloves of chopped organic garlic and a tin of anchovies with the oil it is packed in. Sauté until the anchovies turn into almost nothing. If the garlic is cooking too fast, turn down the heat. Return pasta to the pot and mix everything together until pasta is thoroughly coated and re-heated. Serve immediately.

• This recipe is for one but can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
• Fresh garlic has a long shelf life but it’s still ultimately perishable, so organic dried garlic granules work as a substitute.
• If you’re not a fan of anchovies, a tin of sardines would be a good alternative. As would a tin of oysters (don’t cook them until they almost disintegrate though!)

Why do I Cook Organic?

Choosing to eat organic is the easiest, don’t-have-to-worry-about-it way to insure that we’re not eating pesticides or high doses of synthetic hormones and antibiotics. Commonly used pesticides like Glyphosate, Chlorpyrifos and Atrazine are used in conventional agriculture in the United States and scientific studies (and law suits) have shown that eating pesticides carries serious health risks (see above pesticides which are hyperlinked for more information on risks). Organic food is produced without using conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bio-engineering; or ionizing radiation. It also means your food won’t have artificial flavorings or coloring and that your baking flour won’t be laced with chlorine, bromates or peroxides. In addition organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy come from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.

Finding Joy and Staying Healthy In These Trying Times

We’re all coming to terms with the uncertainty and danger surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m thankful that grocery stores are still open and stocked, and I’m so very grateful to the people who are working overtime to clean the stores and stock the stores at a rate they’ve probably never been asked to do before. I’m thankful that we have a family farm a 10 minute drive from our home where we can purchase fresh organic produce, with owners who are graciously offering free delivery to people in our community who are home-bound. I hope that you can find joy in cooking at home and sharing nutritious meals with your family during this time of isolation and confinement. Stay healthy everyone!

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