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To my bemusement, every so often wine randomly appears with my name on it. This shipment's frou-frou newsletter included a recipe for something I have eaten three times in my life, all of them in Italy, all of them with extreme gastronomic bliss.
Naturally I misread the recipe. But such is the power of the scrumptiousness of sage that what I actually did came out very well anyway.
Here I present CJ's Misreading of Sterling Vineyards' Version of Pasta with Butter and Sage.
Pasta for 6 people
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper
I used a pound of pasta, and I think it might have been too much for the amount of sauce I got.
I used unsalted baking butter, and there's no point; this recipe wants a touch of salt anyway.
I couldn't fit a sage leaf in a tablespoon so I took a wild guess.
The original recipe did not call for powders of any kind. Oops. It didn't even call for onion; it wanted shallots. I don't know how my brain made that leap. Well, this is the CJ Rendition.
Slice or mince the sage.
Are you supposed to use the stems too? I cut those off before mincing the leaves. Man did the kitchen start to smell good at this point.
Melt butter over medium heat, and when it is bubbling, add the sage, garlic, and onion powders. Remove from heat and keep warm for at least five minutes to infuse with the savory flavors.
Make pasta according to instructions; drain. In a bowl, toss with the sage butter and most of the grated cheese.
Transfer to individual plates and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and the rest of the cheese.
Unlike the version I first had in a lovely restaurant in Florence, this one really does seem to want the cheese and the pepper. Fresh garlic and shallots might help, but probably still won't duplicate that version. That's fine though. I ate two helpings as it is.
I suggest insalata caprese with it.
Verdict: OM NOM NOM NOM
Naturally I misread the recipe. But such is the power of the scrumptiousness of sage that what I actually did came out very well anyway.
Here I present CJ's Misreading of Sterling Vineyards' Version of Pasta with Butter and Sage.
Pasta for 6 people
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper
I used a pound of pasta, and I think it might have been too much for the amount of sauce I got.
I used unsalted baking butter, and there's no point; this recipe wants a touch of salt anyway.
I couldn't fit a sage leaf in a tablespoon so I took a wild guess.
The original recipe did not call for powders of any kind. Oops. It didn't even call for onion; it wanted shallots. I don't know how my brain made that leap. Well, this is the CJ Rendition.
Slice or mince the sage.
Are you supposed to use the stems too? I cut those off before mincing the leaves. Man did the kitchen start to smell good at this point.
Melt butter over medium heat, and when it is bubbling, add the sage, garlic, and onion powders. Remove from heat and keep warm for at least five minutes to infuse with the savory flavors.
Make pasta according to instructions; drain. In a bowl, toss with the sage butter and most of the grated cheese.
Transfer to individual plates and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and the rest of the cheese.
Unlike the version I first had in a lovely restaurant in Florence, this one really does seem to want the cheese and the pepper. Fresh garlic and shallots might help, but probably still won't duplicate that version. That's fine though. I ate two helpings as it is.
I suggest insalata caprese with it.
Verdict: OM NOM NOM NOM
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But the main point holds: wheat *is* a vegetable. You just can't process the shit out of it and expect it to still benefit you like one. :) (Corn is a vegetable too, and look what happens when you make corn syrup out of it?)
And, of course, your main point is well taken -- vegetables are better for you than baguette. And balance is key, isn't it? I'd eat nothing BUT pasta if I thought I could get away with it, but then I'd have those horrible blood sugar crashes that I've (mostly) been able to avoid lately, and scurvy to boot. I really need to work on getting fresh fruit and veg to be a larger portion of my daily fare -- I've moved away from that since moving back to the states, and I need to move back to how I was eating in Egypt! Beans for breakfast, salad with every dinner, very limited meat.
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Oh man, I'd give a lot just to wander over to that souq again. Absolutely fresh produce of all kinds. Wow.
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Yeah, growing your own sure seems to be the way to go, doesn't it? If I had a lot of time I'd want to put in raised beds and I'd do veggies and herbs in them.