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The Misadventures of Mrs. B: P is for Pasta!

Cook. Writer. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Klutz.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

P is for Pasta!

If it's Thursday, it must be time for Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday! I can't believe we're already on the letter P.  Time flies! I'm also sharing this with Michael & friends over at Designs by Gollum.  Pay us a visit - it's always a good time!

I've known for a week what this post would center around.

But...

I absolutely cannot believe this.

Here I am, a pasta lover.  Addict.  Fiend, even.


And I hardly have any pictures of it.

You'd think...YOU'D THINK...that seeing as how I have posted about bolognese, finger-licking meatballs and sauce, and bolognese AGAIN, I'd have pictures of the pasta they went over.



You'd think.  But you'd be wrong.

I had to scour my collection for even a small handful of pasta pictures.



I am ashamed.

Okay, now that the self-flagellation is over:

I love pasta.  It is my favorite, favorite food.  I would eat it every day, and have in the past. 

I don't know what it is about it.  My mom instilled within me a great love for pasta when I was young.  But honestly, I think you have to have a certain predisposition towards something for it to become a part of who you are.  I mean, making me noodles or macaroni for lunch was hardly enough to make me the mad pasta lover I am today.

I think it was born in me, that's what I think.

Red sauce, white sauce, pink sauce, oil and garlic, cold in salad, baked with cheese...I'll eat it all.

Here's a favorite recipe of mine which I've used many times over the years.  I came up with it at least 15 years ago and it's still my favorite.  It's "to my own taste", meaning you could change it up however you want to.

Generous swirl of olive oil
2 tbs butter or margarine
1 pressed garlic clove (or more if you like it! I know I do!)
Dried basil and parsley
Handful of chopped tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes (fresh of course!)
Handful of thinly sliced mushrooms
Large handful of fresh spinach, or 1/4 cup drained canned spinach (I love canned spinach!)
Lemon juice

Heat olive oil and butter in large pan.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add dried herbs (crush them between your fingers as you sprinkle them - it releases their flavor!).  Toss in mushrooms and allow to soften and begin to brown.  Add tomatoes and allow to cook down a bit and make the whole pan juicy.  Add spinach and lemon juice and cook for another minute or so.  Pour over cooked pasta, add lots of cheese and enjoy the heck out of it!

I'll take the base recipe there and switch out all sorts of things - I'll take out the spinach and add olives at the end, or just use the tomatoes and maybe some capers, or just spinach and lots of garlic, or just mushrooms and a splash of red wine instead of lemon juice.  Whatever mood I'm in and whatever I have on hand.

No matter how I toss it, pasta is home to me.  I love nothing more than settling in with a big bowl of it.  Maybe it takes me back to my childhood - who knows?

Tell me: How do YOU like your pasta?

And by the way...my giveaway ends tomorrow night! It's for a $60 CSN Stores giftcard! Between 200+ stores, you're bound to find something you love! So check it out!

Jenny Matlock


Labels:

40 Comments:

Blogger Debbiedoos said...

Looks like you can cook there my friend! I love pasta can eat it every night, of course I am Italian so it is in my blood!

May 6, 2010 at 11:27 AM

 
Blogger Viki said...

I love any pasta but I'm not as fond of it cold. I love pasta sometimes just with butter on it in a pinch.

May 6, 2010 at 12:06 PM

 
Blogger Pretty Zesty said...

Oh jeez... I love in so many ways.
Cold with veggies, hot with veggies, a la vodka, cheese, and more cheese, basil... so many ways to may it awesome!!

May 6, 2010 at 12:24 PM

 
Blogger Brian + Cheryl B. said...

Dear Jen, could it be possible that you love pasta so much, that usually when your preparing it, your just so-o-o looking forward to actually sitting down to eat it, you just plumb forget all about taking pictures of it? o;-p

How do I like my pasta? COOKED!!!! One time we were invited to dinner and the host was serving 'a new easy lazagna recipe, where you don't have to cook the noodles first'. The noodles were't stil hard, but they weren't good either. Truly a sad meal!

your story about going back to WDW for your first anniversary and getting the exact same room by happenstance is great!!! May all of your visits there for all of your anniversaries to come be wonderful memorial ones!!!

I was scanning back through some of your previous postings looking for something in particular and found one I had somehow missed. It was the one about your dad throwing away all of your treasured toys. How horrible!!!!
It brought an equally sad tale to mind. Oh, it must have been at least a dozen years ago now that my sisters husband went on one of his cleaning streaks. He hates clutter. Wait, let me clarify. 'Clutter' is okay if it's his, otherwise he hates clutter. But the stack of work and church paper work, reciepts, etc. that took up a good quarter of their kitchen counters was 'important stuff' - NOT clutter in his book. The same sceniero for the stack of small car parts in that one corner. And ... Anyways, one day while my sister was at work and their kids were at school he had the day off and went on a 'clearing this place out' binge. That night my sister called me, totally in tears. He had declared her frog collection 'dumb' and tossed every last one of them! The thing was, she had never kept the ones people had given her 'just because they were a frog and you like frogs'. The ones she had she eaither REALLY liked, or they were sentimental for one reason or another, or both. Every single one of them was gone! Even the todum pole style one I had gotten for her, which had five turtles stacked on one another ..... g-o-n-e. They weren't even in their trash bin to reclaim.

Now a days she is allowed one small collection of Jonathan & David figurines. Small as in, they can only be kept on a 3 foot shelf in the front entry, and she can't have so many up there they are touching one another, and ... .

I give her HUGE credo's for staying with the man for 29 years!!!

Jen, you came to mind this morning - Tammy, from Tammies Recipies posted about dill tuna melts on home made pita bread. You said you love dill .... if your not familiar with her blog, go to my blog, she's listed at the bottom of the posting 'Warm Weather Dessert #3'

May 6, 2010 at 1:12 PM

 
Blogger GardenOfDaisies said...

Anyway I can get it!! I love Pasta too!

May 6, 2010 at 1:24 PM

 
Blogger My name is Riet said...

Pasta I love it and it is a great P word.

May 6, 2010 at 1:25 PM

 
Blogger Gigi said...

I, too, am a pasta fanatic. Spaghetti IS my comfort food, something that still baffles my husband, who did not grow up with an Italian heritage like I did. I seriously love pasta cold, hot, with sauce, with herbs, with lemon. I really am an equal opportunity pasta eater!

May 6, 2010 at 2:14 PM

 
Blogger Allie and Pattie said...

Well, my husband has been on my case to post about something OTHER than pasta! You mean there's something else??
xoxo Pattie

May 6, 2010 at 2:51 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I could eat pasta every day too and never get sick of it! Love your dish.

Any pasta with cheese is my favorite - with lots of garlic and a touch of olive oil - yum!

May 6, 2010 at 3:01 PM

 
Blogger laterg8r said...

i love pasta too - all kinds except for pesto sauce LOL :D

May 6, 2010 at 4:35 PM

 
Blogger Linda @ A La Carte said...

I love pasta! I love it with just butter, garlic or almost any sauce on it. Lots of cheese...oh yum, now I have to go make some for dinner!!! I like your recipe I will copy it and try it sometime.

May 6, 2010 at 4:50 PM

 
Blogger Tracy said...

I love pasta in so many ways probably most favourite is white lasagne MM yummy yum yum will be trying yours out.

May 6, 2010 at 4:55 PM

 
Blogger Ma What's 4 dinner said...

oh oh oh pink sauce...I love me some pink sauce!!! Thanks for swinging by and helping to make my SITS day so spectacular! Your time and your words mean the world to me.

Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma, What's for Dinner?
http://www.mawhats4dinner.com

May 6, 2010 at 5:17 PM

 
Blogger Tina said...

Oh, I love pasta too. My favorite is from our local Italian place, Pinocchio's. It's NOT a chain. It's called Radiatore Annie, after the owner, Annie. It's amazing. A garlicky, scrumptious white sauce, with bacon, fresh tomatoes, peas, and a cheese blend which defies classification. I've tried to crack the code...but can't. To die for! Then you can add chicken or shrimp if you like. I prefer the chicken. The shrimp is too pale of a flavor for this big sauce.

May 6, 2010 at 6:05 PM

 
Blogger Pearl Maple said...

Great post, pasta has a universal appeal and best of all there are so many different flavours, thanks for sharing yours.

May 6, 2010 at 6:08 PM

 
Blogger Cheryl said...

Love homemade mac and cheese. Pretty fond of cheese filled pasta dishes with a light red sauce.

That mac and cheese has given me cravings. Gah! Don't know how to make it and probably don't have the ingredients in the house. Besides it's 6:40 and I'm starving. Looks like frozen dinner tonight.

May 6, 2010 at 6:18 PM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

Must...go...eat...pasta!

May 6, 2010 at 6:36 PM

 
Blogger mrs. c said...

Pasta, I love it too!! I have even made myy own from scratch! I love all kinds of sauces and will be trying yours very soon! I love the pink sauce very much! I really like when you bake it and put tons of cheese on top! My favorite wine to go with pasta is 47 lb.rooster, a cab of course! It is so yummy and of course we have to a good crusty bread to sop up the sauce!

May 6, 2010 at 6:58 PM

 
Blogger Terra said...

Thanks for sharing the recipe! I love pasta and like to try new things. This will be great!

May 6, 2010 at 7:25 PM

 
Blogger Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

I love pasta, too. I just got a pasta machine for Christmas- joy!

May 6, 2010 at 7:30 PM

 
Blogger Kat said...

You are definitely a gal after my own heart. I love pasta, and I too could eat it every single day. Your recipe sounds delicious, very similar to my favorite way to eat pasta. And, no, there is no such thing as too much garlic. When my DH was dx'd with acid reflux, the Dr. told him to watch his intake of tomatoes, garlic and onions. His reply "great, my wife's three favorite food groups" :) Thanks for stopping by and your sweet comment - we are really proud of her! Kathy

May 6, 2010 at 7:42 PM

 
Blogger Jenny said...

Oh yum.

What a tasty post on my little stop here on Alphabe-Thursday's journey through the letter "P"!

I, too, adore pasta.

Sadly the gluten-free substitutes do not even begin to compare to the profound deliciousness that real pasta offers!

I am starving now...and I think I better go find something delicious to make...that will kinda/sorta make up for all this delicious pasta recipe that I'm missing!

Thanks for being part of Alphabe-Thursday!

Your posts help make it so special!

A+

May 6, 2010 at 8:33 PM

 
Blogger VKT said...

I love pasta any way it is fixed. Yummy. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I just got home from school so I guess I will have to dream about pasta...sigh. I stayed late to write my p post for alphabet Thursday...lol

Great post!!!!

May 6, 2010 at 9:13 PM

 
Blogger lissa said...

I don't eat much pasta but I like them with tomato sauce and not much else


thanks for your visit to my alphabe-thursday

May 6, 2010 at 9:31 PM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

i'm a pasta lover too...as a matter of fact i spent yesterday making spinach pasta for lasagna bolognese and egg pasta for chevre and herb ravioli. i am very excited to try your recipe...i happen to have all ingredients on hand..yeah!!!

May 6, 2010 at 11:59 PM

 
Blogger Jo said...

love my pasta ... my dad makes the best ... but it's yummy even when i make it.

May 7, 2010 at 2:11 AM

 
Blogger Kristen said...

I am with you, pasta is king in my book. It goes with everything, it comforts, it tastes wonderful. I like my pasta with anything from sauce to plain butter.

May 7, 2010 at 10:38 AM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

Found you through New Friend Friday and I am glad I did! I am your newest follower and now I am starving!!

Lydia

May 7, 2010 at 11:17 AM

 
Blogger vignette design said...

I love pasta too and recently got a pasta machine to make my own. My daughter Ashley taught me how to make it! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a nice comment. Happy Foodie Friday!

May 7, 2010 at 11:24 AM

 
Blogger Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I think my very favorite way to make pasta is with a little cilantro pesto on top. I did make a spaghetti & meatball recipe from Food & Wine magazine a few nights ago that was amazing!

May 7, 2010 at 11:35 AM

 
Anonymous Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

What a cute post!

I love pasta in any form...sauce or no sauce, hot or cold, with butter only or plain. Love it!

May 7, 2010 at 11:52 AM

 
Blogger ham1299 said...

I love pasta, too - especially mac & cheese (that pic makes me want some)! :-)

You have an award: http://proudbooknerd.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-awards.html

May 7, 2010 at 1:39 PM

 
Blogger Julie said...

I love pasta, no matter how it is fixed. We have it at least once a week at our house. Always in search of new pasta recipes.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!!

May 7, 2010 at 8:13 PM

 
Blogger Lucy said...

Mmmm my mouth is watering. Gotta go make dinner now...

Stopping by from SITS!

May 7, 2010 at 10:02 PM

 
Blogger Jacque said...

Hi Jen,

THis is my first trip to your blog and it will take me a few minutes to catch up on my reading!

Yes, I LOVE PASTA...especially anything from THE OLIVE GARDEN...that's my kind of place! I wish that I made a good pasta dish but somehow my tomato sauce just doesn't have the "bang" that I want it to--any suggestions there?

THanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit! We love having company and hope that you return soon.

Have a great weekend.!

May 8, 2010 at 5:42 AM

 
Blogger easternsparkle said...

Love pasta anyway it comes! So quick and easy - great post!

May 8, 2010 at 9:47 AM

 
Blogger Martha said...

I have been on a total pasta kick lately. I'll be posting my menu plans at Seaside Simplicity later - almost all delicious pasta dishes (with links to the recipes too).

May 8, 2010 at 10:10 AM

 
Blogger Christy said...

I love "basghetti" in a veggie/meat sauce. My husband hates it. Don't know how I ever married the guy.

May 8, 2010 at 8:15 PM

 
Blogger Steph said...

Pasta is yummy and a staple for us. But you sound like a true pasta chef and connoisseur. i always enjoy visiting your blog.

May 10, 2010 at 9:43 AM

 
Blogger MrsJenB said...

Aw, thanks! :-)

May 10, 2010 at 2:27 PM

 

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