Parsley Tomato Pasta Salad

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley by ET Charles

2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

20 small cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup dry farfalle pasta – also called bowtie pasta

2 ounces blue cheese

1 small red onion or 2 small red scallions

1 teaspoon olive oil

Black pepper

Directions: Cook pasta in 3 cups of boiling water. Do not add salt as the cheese contains plenty of salt. Cook 9-12 minutes or according to directions on box.

Wash tomatoes in cold water and pat dry. Cut tomatoes in half. Wash parsley leaves in cold water and pat dry. Coarsely chop parsley being careful to remove all stems as parsley stems can be tough. Place tomatoes and parsley in a bowl.

Sauté onion in one teaspoon olive oil until lightly caramelized.

Using a slotted spoon lift pasta out of water and into tomatoes and parsley bowl. Add blue cheese to the pasta, tomatoes and parsley. Toss well. Top with caramelized onions and olive oil. Toss again. Serve warm with black pepper.

The ratio of tomatoes to parsley to dry pasta is almost one to two to one (1:2:1).

This makes just enough salad. There will not be leftovers.

Serves 4 people as a small side dish.

Note: Italian flat leaf parsley was drawn for a class at Denver Botanic Gardens. Fabric was produced via Spoonflower.

Gnocchi with Basil and Pecorino Romano

 

17.6 ounces gnocchi or similar size package

1 Tablespoon butter, unsalted plus an additional tablespoon in reserve

Drizzle of olive oil, approximately 1 teaspoon, plus extra olive oil in reserve

4 Tablespoons, fresh basil cut in ribbons

½ cup Pecorino Romano, cut into matchstick slivers

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/8 teaspoon lavender salt

¼ teaspoon lavender pepper

Cook gnocchi, according to directions. Meanwhile, on low heat, melt butter in a frying pan. Add sliced garlic to butter. Turn off heat on boiling gnocchi water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked gnocchi to frying pan. Add basil to gnocchi and garlic, sauté until light golden brown. Grind small amounts of lavender salt and pepper on top of gnocchi. Serve in bowls and top with Pecorino Romano.

Serves 2 people.

Notes: The gnocchi soak up the butter and olive oil while cooking to a golden brown without leaving any residual oil in the pan. If the gnocchi stick, please add a bit more butter or olive oil.

To slice basil. Wash and pat dry. Cut leaves from stems. Stack leaves together with the largest leaves on the bottom. Fold and roll the leaves and then slice horizontally across the roll.

Thanks to Wanda for the gift of lavender salt and pepper which I have since replenished.

Visit: A Pinch of Lavender, Palisade, Colorado Nielsen Village

Pasta with Mozzarella and Olives

 

2 + cups dry bow tie pasta

½ pound mozzarella, sliced into small cubes

16 – 20 green olives, Castelvetrano, pitted and sliced in half or quarters

2 Tablespoons red onion, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon orange juice

1/16 teaspoon lavender salt

1/8 teaspoon lavender pepper

Directions: In a small sauce pan sauté diced onions in olive oil; this is way too much olive oil for the amount of onions but fear not as this becomes the dressing. Stir until limp and translucent, a tiny amount of salt may be added; then add the tablespoon of orange juice and continue to stir and then remove from heat. Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente. Using a slotted spoon carefully move hot, al dente pasta to a heat proof casserole dish or bowl. A tiny amount of salt may be added to the pasta. Pour onion, olive oil, orange juice mixture over pasta and toss. Add mozzarella and toss and then and slice olives and toss. Dress with lavender pepper.

Notes: This is a nice dish to serve warm on a cold winter day. The onion slivers will adhere to the al dente bowtie pasta. Do continue to toss occasionally to prevent the cheese from settling to the bottom of the bowl and to help the mozzarella slightly melt onto more pasta. This is fast, easy and delicious.

Serves several people as a side dish; 4 people as a main dish.

Spaghetti with Red Onion and Swiss Chard

 

4 to 6 ounces whole grain spaghetti, dry

½ red onion

5 leaves of Swiss chard, rinsed and patted dry

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese

Lavender salt and lavender pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Dice onion and sauté in olive oil in a large skillet. Dice the stems of the Swiss chard first and add to the onion and olive oil. Fold the remaining chard leaves and slice into small ribbons, approximately 1 ½ inches by ½ inches. Add to skillet. Grind a small amount, 1/8 of a teaspoon or less, of lavender salt onto the cooking vegetables. Add al dente spaghetti. Add butter as needed. Stir and continue to cook until vegetables are soft and pasta and vegetables are thoroughly mixed. Serve with a grinding of lavender pepper and small shavings of Pecorino Romano cheese.

This recipe makes 2 servings as a main dish and 4 servings as a side dish.

A friend, Wanda, gave me my first lavender salt and pepper and she purchased them in Palisade, CO.    

https://www.nielsenvillage.com/

 

Gnocchi and beet greens

1 pound of gnocchi

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 cups coarsely chopped beet greens including part of the stems

1/8 teaspoon lavender salt

1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Gnocchi with Lavender and Parsley

Approximately 1 pound (500 grams) gnocchi

3 Tablespoons salted butter

2 – 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 half tomato, chopped

2 Tablespoons diced fresh lavender

3 – 4 sprigs fresh parsley leaves, chopped

4 Tablespoons goat cheese

Place butter in frying pan on medium heat. Add chopped garlic; add gnocchi; add tomato; add lavender; add parsley. Sauté or fry until gnocchi and garlic are golden brown. Place in serving bowls and top with crumbled goat cheese.

Serves 3 people as an entree and serves 6 to 8 people as a side dish.

Notes: With the generous amount of butter, this recipe is both decadent and fast.