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10/27/2016 12:01 AMAbout a week ago there was not a cloud in the sky and yet, at mid-October, the temperature was expected to hit 80 degrees. My hair cutter, Nancy, says she is still going to the beach.
But that will change in no time and most of my friends and neighbors are cooking. Sharon, who just had her second gorgeous daughter, made her family biryani and raita, and was nice enough to save some for me, It was amazing. She will send me the recipes and I will write about it soon. My next-door neighbor, Sue, planned to make a chicken dish that required fresh basil. I used all my basil to make pesto, so I gave her a little frozen packet of the pesto. She used it instead of plain basil and I loved the dish. She says she will give me that recipe and I will then give it to you in a few weeks.
I also spent a nice evening at my friends in Norwich on the night after Yom Kippur, what we all call Break the Fast. She had made a beautiful challah and big pans of kugel. I think I have written about kugel: egg noodles with eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, sugar and cinnamon. If you would like that recipe, email me.
I’m cooking lots, too. Last Sunday I made a big pork roast with sauerkraut, apple sauce, baked squash with maple syrup, buttered spaghetti squash, mashed potatoes, and an apple cake. Now I have leftover pork, which I will dice and add to salads. Last night I made this penne from Rachael Ray’s magazine. When you use a hearty sauce, whole wheat pasta is better for you, less caloric, and tastes just as good as semolina.
Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Roasted Broccolini
From Rachel Ray Every Day
Yield: serves 4
1 pound broccolini, trimmed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, 2 thinly sliced and 2 finely chopped
1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
2 small cans fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
16 ounces whole-grain penne rigate
1 log (4 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled
1 ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss broccolini with 1 teaspoon oil and the sliced garlic. Arrange broccoli in a single layer with garlic on top. Roast until broccoli is crisp-tender and lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. In a large, deep skillet with a lid, heat remaining teaspoon over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until aromatics, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and crushed red pepper; season and bring to a boil over high. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 12 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, salt the boiling water, add penne and cook to al dente. Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water.
Add pasta cooking water and cheese to tomato sauce; stir until smooth. Add penne and stir to coat; season. Drizzle broccolini with vinegar. Sprinkle the pasta with the parsley and serve with the broccolini.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.