Penne is one of my favorite pastas.  I love its shape and size.  I love the way sauce gets trapped inside its hallowed tube, flavoring the food even more, providing an extra burst of delicious flavors when I bite into it.  The recipe here calls for penne, beef and arugula.  I used baby arugula, which I prefer.  The dish didn’t taste bad.  However, it was a little tangy for me.  I think that’s because of the sauce, which included mustard.  Perhaps, I’d mixed in too much mustard.  Or perhaps, it was the balsamic vinegar that I’d used.  I don’t know.   Overall, I like the idea of this dish.  This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Night, which is hosted weekly by Ruth  of Once Upon a Feast.

Paz

Penne with Beef and Arugula

Everyday Pasta by Giada DeLaurentiis

6 to 8 servings

2 New York strip steaks, about 8 ounces each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup plus 3 bablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and pepper, herbes de Provence, and the minced garlic.  In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.  Cook the steaks for about 7 minutes per side.  Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the basil, parsley, and 3/4 cup olive oil.  In a large bowl, toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water.  Set aside.

Slice the steaks thin and add to the pasta with the arugula.  Add more dressing, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

I like all types of salads and eat them all year round.  However, it seems to me that summer is the official season when everyone makes salads.  This orzo based salad is perfect with which to start out the summer.  Orzo pasta reminds me of rich (which I love). 

Like all my favorite recipes, it’s easy to put together.  The garbanzo beans, tomatoes,  red onion, basil, leaves, mint leaves, and red wine vinaigrette are perfect together.  Love it!

I’d like to contribute this to the Presto Pasta Nights event hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.  If you have a pasta recipe to share and are interested in participating, check out the guidelines here.  Ruth posts a line up of the recipe contributions every Friday on her blog.  Go for it!

Paz

Orzo Salad
Giada De Laurentiis

This is one of the very first recipes I tried by the popular T.V. chef, the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten).  Oh, the simplicity of it!

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables.  I could eat it forever and a day and never get tired of it.  And I like farfalle pasta, although I don’t eat it often. 

My favorite part of this recipe is the combination of butter, oil, garlic, and lemon zest prepared and poured over the pasta and broccolli.  The smell is delightful and the taste so delicious that I think it’ll appeal to all types of eaters — even picky ones. 

I’d like to contribute this recipe to the Presto Pasta Nights event that Ruth of Once Upon A Feast hosts weekly.  If you have a favorite pasta recipe and would like to participate, here are the guidelines.  Ruth posts a roundup of the recipes contritubed every Friday on her site.

Continue to have a good week!

Paz

BROCCOLI AND BOW TIES

Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.