Dinner In Minutes

All right, all right. Settle down, folks. We are getting as naughty as they were being. I will stop encouraging you and you can stop encouraging me and we will all turn our attention to loftier matters. Like food.

I am in conversation with a blog designer who assures me that we can do something to make it easier to get recipes up and make changes to them. Like, I want to make a note in the spicy shrimp pasta recipe that says you really do not have to use an entire cup of olive oil (I get emails asking me about this all the time) but I would have to do the page all over again just to make that leetle change. And that would be a pain. Besides olive oil contains GOOD cholesterol, GOOD cholesterol.

I foresee a whole new future for us, one in which we can exchange recipes easily. Perhaps even make them searchable! And organize them into categories! Just think about how delightful that will be.

In the meantime I thought I would post my favorite 7 Ingredient (More or Less) Recipe and ask for yours:

My Friend Fernanda's Excellent Easy Pasta 

1 lb pasta (I like farfalle for this, but anything with nooks would be nice)

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 jar kalamata olives, chopped

a few slices of red onion, minced very very fine

2 cans good quality tuna in olive oil, not drained

about half a package of crumbled feta cheese

fresh basil if you have it, slivered

Cook the pasta and then toss it with everything in a big bowl. Add olive oil by the teaspoonful until it feels a little less dry.

This is an easy, pantry ready dinner and it tastes SO GOOD. You could also add fresh diced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, capers, roasted red pepper... you get the idea.

What do you like to throw together? Share please.

Finally, as a former marketer (albeit a bad one) I know that nothing evokes good feelings like pictures of puppies and babies. I do not have a puppy and Patrick is no longer a baby but here... a portrait of Patrick and Bear at Christmas.

Aren't they sweet?

Comments

[andrea]

(chuckling to myself as I read your post)...You are so funny and sweet. Love the pic and can't wait to see the new design.
a.

[Ms Sisyphus]

I just followed that link. Off to shower now.

[chicagomama]

love the picture and cannot wait to try the recipe! will post a recipe after I look through my files :)

[MFA Mama]

Awwww I always did kind of wonder what kind of bear Bear was :-) Very sweet. And I'm excited about the recipes. Here is something we eat for dinner at least once a week here at Casa MFA, because it is one of about three meals everyone with teeth will eat:

MFA Mama's Chicken with Beer Goggles

Spray large glass casserole dish with cooking spray

Arrange a dozen or so chicken drumsticks and one to two large onions cut into quarters or sixths in dish

Pour one bottle or can of any brand beer over chicken and onion

Sprinkle liberally with Adobo seasoning and spray with spray

Bake for 45 minutes at 415, then turn and re-sprinkle with Adobo and bake for 45 more. Delicious with rice and salad, and also works for chicken breasts, leg quarters, whatever you have.

[Ruth]

Patrick is too cute ... and Bear looks like a loyal pal. My Eldest has a Bear, too ... the boy is 12 now, but Bear still lives on his bed (don't let on that I told you ... Eldest would be MORTIFIED).

[Ruth]

Oh, and what do I like to throw together? Take some chicken breast or chicken strips, dip them in egg white, then in Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Put them in baking dish, spray w/Pam (or something of its ilk), bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. Serve with rice and green beans, and voila! A dinner even my children, the King, Queen, and Crown Prince of Pickitopia, will eat.

[Sheridan]

Oh my, he is the image of you. Well, from the pictures I have seen anyway. And he is so grown-up! Thanks for the lovely start to the week.

Can't wait for the new and improved recipe section!

[Elizabeth]

Julia, I enjoy reading your blog so much. Patrick is an absolute doll. Thanks for posting that picture. I'm also hanging on the edge of my seat for the new recipe section!

[Lisa C.]

I love that pasta recipe and MFA Mama's beer chicken sounds divine.

My mother can't cook, but her mother made something called "favorite casserole." I have modified the recipe from hers, but it really is tasty and kid friendly!

Favorite Casserole:

1 lb pasta (I use fettucine, but any pasta will do)
6 slices American cheese
1 box of Green Giant frozen peas in butter sauce (you can substitute regular peas and 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine)
1 onion, diced
1 large can of chicken breast (the only time you'll ever see me using canned chicken, but it really does taste better)

Prepare pasta in large pot as directed.

While pasta is cooking, cut up the onion and microwave the peas.

Dump the pasta in a colander and add some olive oil to the pot. Saute onions and canned chicken for about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat down to low, add the pasta and the peas, then rip up the cheese slices and add them to the pot. Mix it all together until the cheese covers everything.

It is fabulous.

[victoria]

I'm sorry, I know this isn't a "healthy diet" blog, but I can't help saying that while olive oil can be part of a heart-healthy diet, it is not true to say that olive oil contains "good cholesterol," or bad cholesterol, or any cholesterol for that matter. Cholesterol is found only in animal products.

"Good cholesterol," or high-density lipoprotein, is manufactured by your liver. (Actually, 80% of all serum cholesterol is made by your liver. This is why dietary changes may not substantially improve the lipid profiles for some people. Your liver will make it even if you don't eat it.)

There are several ways to encourage your liver to increase its HDL production: regular exercise; red wine; and niaspan (mega doses of niacin, available by prescription for folks with bad lipid profiles who can't tolerate or afford the statin drugs). Also, some post-menopausal women can improve their lipid profiles by taking estrogen, if its risks are outweighed by the benefits to them.

Sorry to drone on. What is this weird compulsion I have to leave these long-ass comments? That pasta recipe looks fabulous.

[Kelly]

Patrick is quite a cutie. And I will admit to the fact that I am often jealous of patrick and his smartness. It makes me feel like a shitty mom and I totally know my boy is smart and cool too.

But sometimes the broken brain™ just gets one down.

[Julia]

Damn it, I missed all the drama ;-)

1. I can't *wait* to make that pasta dish ... YUM!

2. Your son is one cute kid. Really, really cute. And smart? Whew, double threat!

[Arwen]

Oh, unbelievably sweet.

My throw-together meal for which I always have ingredients on hand is Tuna Turnovers, which are wonderful. But it involves making and rolling out biscuit dough, which unfortunately sounds much harder than it is, so I doubt anyone would be interested. :(

[Jessica]

Recipes are fun. Beer battered chicken:

1 can/bottle beer (anything, I usually use Corona)
1.25 C. Flour
1 tsp. each salt, pepper, garlic, paprika {for color, can omit). But don't leave out the salt! Maybe add a little cayenne.
Some chicken,I use boneless-skinless strips

Heat some oil in a pain or deep fryer to 375. Mix the dry ingredients, then carefully add the beer and whisk until smooth. Theoretically, let sit for half an hour, but until-the-oil-is-hot is usually long enough. Dip chicken in batter, fry until floaty and brown. Also works extremely well with fish and mozzarella cheese (although the cheese is difficult, it likes to ooze out of the batter and get everywhere, but I've read that freezing it would help).

[Meganann]

Ok, slightly more than 7 ingredients, but so easy to make!

Nut Pesto
1 c. walnuts
1/4 c. almonds blanched and skins removed
1 c. pine nuts
2-6 cloves garlic, to taste
1/4 c. olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c. parmesan cheese, grated
fresh basil to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta
2/3 c. boiling water

So Cuisinart all this stuff up into a fine paste, add 2/3 c. hot water (from the pasta) and mix. Spoon 1/3 of pesto into a ziploc storage bag, repeat. Freeze these 2 bags. Use remaining pesto on 2/3-1 lb. of pasta and mix well--serve with more parmesan cheese.

On a busy night, boil water, take pesto out of freezer and drop the bag into the water to heat, remove when warm. Finish cooking pasta, drain, and mix well with pesto.

I like to justify eating it by reminding myself it has heart healthy omega-3s, but I really just like it.

[Jessica]

In the beer batter, I meant garlic *powder* but if anyone knows what to do with, like, ten bulbs of garlic (thank you, Costco) that would be fabulous. Other than try to make my own garlic powder, since I also bought that at Costco and have plenty.

[kathleen999]

Brava--loved the Woodhousian bit in your last entry.

Thank you for writing a fun-to-read blog and thank you for rising above the nastiness. I totally heart you and I love reading about Patrick.

[margalit]

My best throw together recipe requires a Trader Joe's nearby so you can pick up their cuban mojito cooking sauce. The stuff is crack-a-licous.

Dice one onion and saute till translucent in olive oil,
Cut boneless chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and brown in onion mixture.
Pour on mojito sauce and cook for 10 minutes with cover on, then another 10 minutes with cover off.

While chicken is cooking, make 2 cups long grain white rice.

While rice and chicken are cooking, saute another diced onion and dice up a yellow, red, or orange sweet pepper in olive oil. Open two cans of black beans and add to sauted onions and peppers. Stir in 2 tbs vinegar.

To plate, place scoop of rice on plate, then pour chicken and sauce over top, and add the black beans to the side.

Yum

[cack]

Patrick is perfectly edible . . .
I have a ziti dish that involved hot sausage, fresh spinach, diced tomatos, pesto and moz cheese that is always a crowd pleaser. How much of each ingredient you use depends on your taste. Basically, you brown the sausage add the tomatoes and pesto to the pan and bring to a boil. Separately combine cooked ziti, chopped fresh spinach and cheese. Combine to mixtures and baked for 25 minutes.
What is high-quality canned tuna?

[Emily]

12 ingredients, but most of them are seasonings or regular pantry things.

Chicken Santa Fe

1 1/4 lbs. chicken breasts, boned and skinned
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. olive oil or butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 1/2 cups instant rice
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 can chicken broth

Cut chicken into thin strips. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 2 minutes. Add onion, green pepper and garlic; cook until tender, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Add chicken broth to liquid to equal 1 1/2 cups. Add liquid to skillet; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and reserved tomatoes. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes; sprinkle with cheese.
Makes 4 servings.

[Emily]

Oh yes, I like this very spicy so I usually add a pinch or so of cayenne and sub pepper jack for regular jack.

[Anita]

I am slow and dull. Did you turn off comments to the previous posts?

Also, I've just spent 30 minutes trying to figure out what the HECK has been going on and reading the nasty blog and not finding the actual nasty bloggy bits and the figuring out it's a closed thing (and wondering how clever you were to get in) and then wondering if anyone said anything about me and then seriously doubting it because I am so Not A Popular Blogger, but it would have hurt my feelings if anyone said something, but I still think Patrick is ahead of the curve with reading.

Now to take a hot bath. Cuz I want to. And a hot bath will not make me quick and witty, but will most certainly make me not really give a shit.

[Lena]

Julia, you'll want to come to my blog and make me swoon by commenting after you taste this. Really. And did I mention that it takes about 10 minutes to prepare?

You do have a slow cooker, yes? Fabulous. Follow along:

Chicken Taco Mole

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans (S&W San Antonio recipe works best)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1/2 C. frozen whole kernel corn
1 (8 ounce) can or 1/2 jar tomato/marinara sauce
2 C. chopped fresh tomatoes
1 C. fresh pico de gallo
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning (Bearitos is best)
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
crushed tortilla chips
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional - but not REALLY)
sour cream (optional)

--------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.

I make elaborate dinners all the time, but this is incredibly good for being so quick. It's even better the next day wraped in a tortilla.

Hope you and the boys enjoy!

[meg]

Julia, he is as adorable looking as he sounds in his stories.

OK, I almost don't want to post this because it is too easy. (I imagine you will all read it and be like "No duh!") But, I have been told that my meatballs are like crack because they are so good and addicting. I have no idea where I got the recipe but I didn't really make it up. (I didn't exactly follow it either as I didn't have what it asked for so I improvised...it was so long ago I don't remember).

1 bag frozen meatballs (about 100)
1 large jar of BBQ sauce
1 large jar of pineapple/apricot jam

Put meatballs in slow cooker. Mix BBQ sauce and jam and pour over meatballs. Cook on high till all warm and good (a couple hours...) Serve with sticky white rice. It makes a lot.

[Karyn]

Patrick is so cute!

I love this blog because I get so many easy and yummy meal ideas! It's too late at night to think of my own to add to the mix, so I'll have to get back to you.

[Sonetka]

I am feeling like the world's absolute lamest cook right now. But some of the recipes here look reeeeaally good.

[Belinda]

Great recipe--I love goat cheesy dishes. And I will gladly take precious child off your hands any time. Unless he acts like mine of roughly the same age, in which case, never mind.

Our fave "toss togethers?" Always roasting.

Just chop up whatever root veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, parsnips, whatever) you have with whatever garlic and onion-type things you have (I love scallions, but oh, pricey. Need to grow those) Toss in olive oil and a bit of melted butter. Salt with coarse kosher salt and coarse-ground black pepper, toss. Arrange in roasting pan one layer deep, if possible.

Then butter and herb-up (or however you like to prepare it) a chicken, and plop it right in the middle of the veggies. Roast the tar outta that dish, like 500 degrees, seriously. Don't be scared. If the white meat starts to get too done, just put a piece of foil over it, and cook, turning the veggies a few times, until they're tender and the onions/scallions are carmelized. MAN, this is good. You don't really need anything else, but maybe some crusty warm bread.

[Toni]

Hmm..I'm guessing you didn't like my comment to your last entry. Wonder why?

Anyways, I like the recipe that you have - only substitute chicken for tuna. Yummy.

Can't wait for recipes!!!

[nate]

Mmm...can't wait to mine these recipes. Gotta think about my favorite throw-together dinners. I'm seriously menu-challenged, lately.

And wow, once again I go away for the wkd, and the world explodes. Not going to comment on the whole thing, *except* that in your first post on the nastiness, when you asked for a name of a blog designer, my first thought was "hmmm...doesn't Aitch do blog designs?" So, umm, I guess maybe that's not the best suggestion...

[GiBee]

aaahhh... it's so nice that you can blog about whatever you want to blog about when it's YOUR blog you're blogging on...

And recipes and decorating ranks pretty high in my book... as does lovely stories about adorable and brilliant little boys!

Keep up the good work!

[Emily]

He's really getting big and since you've been blogging and posting pictures, you can see how quickly he is changing. He is a real cutie.

[Melinda]

This is my favorite less than 10 minutes for dinner recipe and my very picky DH loves this. You'll need a slow cooker.
2 cans of any condensed "cream of" soup...I use the low fat/low salt variety cream of celery and cream of chicken
2 tsp ground thyme
garlic cloves to taste (I like about 4)
1/2 cup milk
2-4 chicken breasts, right out of the freezer.
Mix the soups, milk, thyme and garlic in a bowl. Salt & peper to taste. Pour into slow cooker, add chicken, cover and turn on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with rice (makes a wonderful gravy kinda sauce all by itself that I LOVE over the rice) and a veggie, and presto, dinner. I usually put this together around 6.30 AM as we're getting ready to start our day, and then when I get home from work, it is done. Yum.

Missed all the snarky-ness, bummer. I love a good snark. But I always thought that the purpose of a blog was for the blogger to write about whatever strikes his/her fancy, and the whole world be dammed. Don't read me if I offend you, unless you like that "I'm sooo offended" feeling. Right?!?

PS THANKS for the adorable Packy pic, love it love it.

[jennifer]

who the huh what now? blogger wars? secret sniping site? vagina posse? i don't get it.

but i will do the pasta recipe. thanks!

[halloweenlover]

Is he getting cuter by the day?

I could eat him up.

[Lisa]

my favorite recipe that's quick and simple is pork tenderloin with Mojo sauce. Gotta love the name, and who knew orange juice and garlic would taste so good together?

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/106895

[Pamplemousse]

Isn't it always this time of year that blogwars erupt? I think it is like cabin fever and not enough Vitamin D.

Love the recipe and cute bear and Packy pic! More, more.

[JustLinda]

My favorite casserole? Can I post a link? This is from allrecipes.com which is a recipe site I love. Everyone I've fed with this recipe and everyone I've shared the recipe with LOVES it. Very easy. Note that it appears to call for (2) 26-ounce jars of sauce. It actually calls for 26 ounces TOTAL (which can be one 26 ounce or two 13 ounce, or heck, even twenty-six 1 ounce jars... Have it your way!)

Here's the linkipoo:

Baked Ziti

[Karen]

Julia, foodie that I am, I am working my way through the recipes you've posted and so far I'm batting 1000 with my critics (husband, parents and children). Thanks for the help in the kitchen and I can't wait for more! But really, can we do the pasta in this post w/o olives? Can't stand the buggers, although half of my family lives for them. Maybe I'll give it a try and just pick them out....

Meganann -- the best things to do with a surplus of garlic are to get your small child busy peeling and then put the peeled cloves in a nice ziploc bag and stick it in your fridge for later use. Also you can wrap those heads up in foil and roast them, then invite three of your favorite friends over and spread the yummmmmmmy garlic on some crackers or chewy bread. Ah, bliss. Roasted garlic is also great mashed into potatoes.

[Julia S]

Oh, by "good tuna" I meant tuna packed in olive oil not vegetable oil. I looked in my pantry and the kind I have is called Genovo Tonno. It looks all European with its weirdly colored can but it seems to be distributed by Chicken of the Sea.... hmmmm. I suggested tuna in olive oil because you pour the whole can in and the olive oil has a nicer flavor I think. It doesn't really matter, of course.

If you MUST skip the olives just chop some up and serve them in a separate bowl because unless you find the flavor truly offensive I think they add a lot.

Oh and as I look at what I wrote I think 3-4 garlic cloves would be too much. I mean unless you want to saute them first in some oil but that adds a whole step (not to mention a pan to clean). So maybe a clove or two of garlic instead.

As Chicken of the Sea Manufacturing Corp. would say, "buon appetito"!

[Alexa]

Here is what I make almost every time I am left to my own devices for a meal (can't make it when the Nearly is around, "not healthy enough." Pshaw.):

Mandatory ingredients:
Farfalle (or similar)
Butter
Cream
Saffron
Salt
Pepper

Optional ingredients:
Frozen shrimp (thawed) or canned albacore
Peas
Parmesan
Other

Make pasta. Set aside. Melt butter in pan, add two pinches saffron threads (crumbled), salt and pepper (to taste--usually needs a lot of salt), cream (enough to make sauce for the pasta). Bring to simmer. Simmer until desired consistency (not too thick, just enough to stick to pasta well and turn yellow from saffron). Add optional ingredients and pasta. Eat until you can eat no more.
Patrick is adorable, as is Bear (I had no idea he was so big! Bear, I mean. Patrick is just the size one would expect).

[spit]

I love your blog and I love Patrick, even if you are making all that super genius kid stuff up : P

[nate]

Hmm..in answer to the fellow olive-hater. I'm not crazy about olives either, although for some reason Kalamatas are okay if I cook them w/ the recipe, then don't eat them. In other words, I like the flavor the leave b/h, but if I were to eat the actual olive it'd be too much. So I'd say put them in halved, so it's easier to pick them out.

Julia, have you tried that recipe w/ sun-dried tomatoes? Somehow it seems like it might be crying out for something red...

One of my favorite last-minute recipes: pasta w/ broccoli & pecorino.
1 lb penne or other short chunky pasta
lots of garlic (I don't know--2 or more cloves? depends on how much you like garlic)
a couple of cups of raw broccoli, in 1/2 in pieces or so
1/4 cup chicken broth (water is okay in a pinch, but it's better w/ broth)
lots of pecorino.
Pepper

Yada yada...cook pasta (really? go figure).
Saute garlic in olive oil (at least 2-4 tbs)
When garlic starts to get fragrant, add broccoli and toss.
Add broth, bring to boil, cover for a few moments until the broccoli is done (green & crispy, please). Add pasta water or more broth if you need more liquid
Drain pasta, toss w/ broccoli mixture, sprinkle liberally w/ pepper & grated pecorino.
Also good w/ chopped tomatoes added to the broccoli toward the end.

[Jen]

Great picture of Patrick and his gargantuan bear! Good feelings, indeed.

As for one of my favorite quick fix recipes:

Penne with Asparagus, Lemon & Parmesan
1 lb.-ish fresh asparagus, ends cleanly snapped off
1/2 lb. penne or other such pasta
1 lemon
Parmesan cheese
Milk
Butter
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Set heavily salted pasta water on to boil. Meanwhile, toss the asparagus with olive oil, kosher salt & pepper. Arrange in a single layer on roasting pan sheet, and place in a 450 degree oven. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and wilted down. Remove from oven; let cool slightly, and chop coarsely into 1" long chunks.

Once the water is ready, cook the pasta to the al dente stage. Drain, and return to pot. Add about 1 Tbs. of butter; stir until pasta is coated. Dump in the asparagus, the zest of the lemon, pepper, a small handful of Parmesan, and enough milk to loosen it up.

Serve it up in bowls, with extra Parmesan sprinkled over the top. Serves 4ish.

[Georgia]

Yum. Will try Fernanda's pasta. And great pic, too.

Mine:

Orzo. Cook it, a big bowlful, enough for 8pp maybe.
Heat a few T of that good-for-you olive oil in a pan and brown a few T of pine nuts and some red pepper flakes in it.
Toss the oil/pine nuts/pepper flakes in the cooked orzo.
Toss in some feta and fresh parmesan and any/all of the following: cherry tomatoes, broccoli, spinach.
MMMM

[nate]

Damn typos.
Re: the kalamatas.
I like the flavor THEY leave behind.
Must remember to proof-read.

[Dixie]

Patrick is just precious. Who wouldn't fall in love with that smile?

[redfox]

Beans and greens are very simple and yet delicious. Ingredients: greens (like kale, chard, spinach, whatever), canned beans (white beans or chickpeas are nice), a large onion, a few cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

1) Get some leafy greens of some variety or other or multiple.
2) Parboil them for a minute or so in boiling water, drain, let cool, squeeze out water. Wrap in plastic and store in fridge until wanted.
3) Drain and rinse canned beans.
4) Chop onion. Cook SLOWLY in good olive oil until pale gold.
5) Chop garlic. Add to pan.
6) Chop greens and immediately add to pan. Turn up heat. Add salt and pepper in the quantities that please you. Saute.
7) Add beans and a bit of liquid of some kind. Turn down heat. Cover. Let everything heat through.
8) Taste and correct salt. Add more pepper.

[redfox]

Also very easy is pumpkin soup, which is also extremely pretty. If you count spices as a single ingredient, it only has six.

3 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup milk
pat butter
1 can pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth, milk, and butter to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and whisk in the pumpkin. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and sugar, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the soup has thickened slightly. Adjust the seasonings, including salt and pepper. (This soup is nice on the distinctly salty side, but you can make up for that with some lemon juice, if too much sodium alarms you.)

Grated cheese is nice with this one.

[Lisa P]

Mmmmm . . . the recipe sounds yummy! And the photo of Patrick and Bear is adorable!

[alice]

Ooh! I have one! One recipe, that is!

You take some pasta, a bag of baby arugula and a container of goat cheese. Cook the pasta--I like the whole-wheat penne rigate, but I'm funny that way. Save about a 1/2 cup of the water from the cooking pasta. After the pasta has been strained, throw it back in the pot, then anywhere from 1/2 to all of the goat cheese and the water until the pasta is coated. Add the arugula. It will seem like too much arugula. It will not be too much! It will reduce! Stop panicking! Mix it up, and if the arugula is still too prominent, turn the heat on low and keep mixing. Add salt and pepper, or parmesan, to taste.

If you want to make an effort you can saute garlic and onion in oil, and then add the arugula to that. You can also add chopped-up grape tomatoes.

If it were up to me I would eat this every day.