Growing up my grandmother, Aunt Jo and mother made a very special sauce. This sauce I write of was not just any sauce, you know, it was a cascade of vegetables perfectly cooked - never mushy - made with expert sauteing and an abundance of care. The classic family recipe has asparagus, mushrooms, tomato and zucchini and it is required that each vegetable is sauted in their own pan so as to not over cook each one. The version I made myself on this rainy NYC afternoon omitted the zucchini and I didn’t bother to replace it with another vegetable. Today is was just me, 3 pans, a pot of water and my thoughts - all hanging out in the kitchen.

After days of looking through photos from my last trip to Italy, reminiscing about pasta, men, pasta and the freedom I felt in every part of my life and being … I couldn’t wait any longer. My days of hibernating with a heating pad within the confines my couch crafted blanket fort were to be broken, no, not to go out and meet a man - but to get up, grocery shop and make pasta. I cannot control love. At the moment I’m done going to bars. Internet dating is dead to me. And NYC has me feeling disconnected.

What can I control?
How I choose to feel. My thoughts. What I cook. The way I treat myself. That’s freedom.

The love I pour into the process of cooking, walking to the store, each vegetable selected and cut, every taste I sneak and the place I set myself at the table - it’s all worth my time. I’m worth the time it takes to cook and it’s the way I care for myself. My only true love, or so it seems at this point in my life (aside from family, friends and travel), is cooking. And, yes, pasta.

How have you been treating yourself, be honest?

If you shame pasta, this post isn’t for you. Or, maybe it is? What does it look like to balance or enjoy what you love in moderation? Pasta is the tradition of my family, of my culture. No, I do not sit down with a mind of emotions and a super sized bowl. No. I make pasta for one, boiling 100 grams as Uncle Tony would do and then double the amount of vegetables to make a substantial meal. Uncle Tony eats pasta nearly every day, loads it with freshly cooked vegetables, walks and drinks red wine daily. This has always been his method. He’s also 80. I hope I look and move like him when I’m his age. So, word to the wise, eat your pasta like an 80 year old Italian man - loaded with fresh vegetables. It makes for a truly satisfying meal. Close in on that glass of red wine too.

Here’s to Sunday dinners inspired by travel, family and the joy of cooking.

Thankful for a history of food, family and understanding how meaningful it is to bring tradition into my own home - even for one.

Let there be pasta.

XO

Pasta Con Verdure
the below sauce makes enough for 4 servings
when I cook pasta for myself, I boil 100 grams which is 2/3 - 1 cup dry, which is one serving of most pastas

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of water, reserved to the side
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
4 cups of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced *I used oyster mushrooms which added a delicate buttery flavor and smooth but meaty texture to this sauce
Salt to taste
Crushed red pepper, optional for finishing
Cheese for grating, I used a semi-hard sheep’s milk ricotta salata for a creamy and smooth finish
Your pasta of choice + serving size: my preferred brand is Sapori Del Vallo

Boil water, add salt and cook pasta. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 clove of thinly sliced garlic to each of your 3 pans, set over a medium low flame. Add asparagus to one pan, tomatoes to another and mushrooms to your last - sprinkling each pan of vegetables with a touch of salt. Saute asparagus until fork tender, about 7-8 minutes - watching that they do not stick, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to cook. Allow tomatoes to cook until they have broken down and formed a sauce, about 10 minutes. Sautee mushrooms until soft, about 7-8 minutes. When the vegetables are done, add all of them to your largest pan, sample for salt and adjust seasoning.Drain pasta and toss to coat with vegetables. Finish by serving with cheese and red pepper flakes. And extra drizzle of olive oil if you’re so inclined.