There wasn’t much time to post this week, but I did want to mention the fresh whole wheat pasta we got in this week’s CSA delivery from local pastamakers Fontana Pasta.
I normally don’t eat much whole wheat pasta as I find the texture and flavor of it to be a little too chewy and, well…wheaty. But fresh whole wheat pasta is much nicer. Not only does it cook in half the time, the texture is softer and not as dense as dried wheat pastas. I’d like to see what Fontana’s other products are like now, since this one was such a pleasant surprise.
I served the pasta with a very simple tomato sauce from Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey, a book on the food of Sardinia that I borrowed from the library this week. Although this is probably the most humble recipe in the book, and not at all representative of the interesting flavor combinations therein, it’s a lovely basic tomato sauce; fine for a quick weeknight dinner (and frankly was all I could manage on a Wednesday night). I’m going to try to get to a few more recipes before it’s time to return the book, as author Efisio Farris’s vivid prose on Sardinia’s unique cuisine has had me positively glued to the pages!
Bagna de Mamma (Mother’s Tomato Sauce)
Adapted from Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 14.5-oz cans peeled tomatoes
1 celery stalk, cut in half
1 carrot, cut in half
1 large green onion, chopped
2 sprigs of basil, chopped
Heat olive oil, garlic, and bay leaf in a saucepan over medium heat. Crush canned tomatoes in a bowl with your fingers and discard the hard stems. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and basil. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the carrot, celery, and bay leaf before used.