Pasta Recipes | DanaSlatkin.com

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Broccoli Pesto

02/02/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

I wish you were here in Los Angeles last weekend. Warm breezes blew gently across a cloudless electric blue sky, and there was a palpable exuberance in the air. It was the perfect time to welcome a certain well-seasoned New Yorker, one with a mega presence and a delicious agenda. Mario Batali, proprietor of 19 restaurants, Iron Chef, author of eight cookbooks and television superstar, came to town. On tour to promote his latest book, Molto Batali, Mario breezed into our boardwalk café, Coast, for a sold-out lunch that included samples of several recipes, accompanied by wines from his Bastianich label. It was a meal to remember, not as much for the food, which was tasty indeed, but for the outsized personality that jumped out … [Read more...]

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Pasta with Creamy Vodka Sauce

01/11/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

A new year can seem like a mixed blessing. It’s 12 more months to accomplish our dreams, to matter more, to shoot for the moon. But from here it looks dang overwhelming. The holidays are over, and the next vacation seems miles away. Only a few weeks in and I am already snowed under. So I remember the words of my mother, the best pep-talker in the world: “Take small bites, and your plate won’t seem so full.” Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get organized, go meatless, or just be happier, take it one morsel at a time. One of my goals for this year is to help my kids learn to love what’s good for them. So I came up with this vegan pasta dish. The appealingly pink sauce uses no butter or cream … [Read more...]

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Vegan Kale Pesto with Whole Grain Spaghetti

04/27/2011 By dana 1 Comment

Curious what I crave after a week of abstinence from bread? You guessed it. The minute Passover ends, I head to the market to replenish my supply of pasta. But after a fast of any sort, it’s wise to choose the virgin meal judiciously. Especially when sharing it with a crowd of tough culinary sophisticates (i.e. my toddler, ’tween, and teen). While taking a wander in my garden this week, I discovered a huge crop of lacinato (flat) kale ready to be harvested. Given its versatility and numerous nutritional benefits, kale has always been one of my go-to greens. But in my household, it’s not always an easy sell (with the exception of my Parmesan Kale Chips). Just then, I had an epiphany…or so I thought. I’d … [Read more...]

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Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Lentils and Spinach

11/03/2010 By dana Leave a Comment

When it comes to eating, my girlfriends and I love to compare notes. Best meal of the week? Home-run dinner recipes? Latest orgasmic restaurant feast? We need to know! It turns out birds of a feather tend to have similar appetites. When my pal Jessica reported she had been hungering for a big bowl of spaghetti with lentils and spinach, I couldn’t help drooling. With the chill of fall in the air and the imminent pressure of the upcoming holidays, we were both hankering for the hearty reassurance of this vegetarian dish. Inspired by a delicious menu item at a local Italian trattoria, Locanda Veneta, it makes a perfect meatless weeknight meal. The lentils lend a rib-sticking wholesomeness to the rich sauce without requiring … [Read more...]

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Spaghetti with Tofu Bolognese Sauce

05/10/2009 By dana Leave a Comment

This is the dish I always turn to the morning after a late night of revelry, especially when there are leftover bottles of red wine. I wouldn’t say it cures a hangover or sleep deprivation, but it sure is comforting. If you prefer, substitute ground beef for the tofu, but you’ll need to add it after you have caramelized your onions and garlic in step 2, and the sauce will take a lot longer before you can get it on the table (about 1-1/2 hours). I recently taught this healthy, vegan, gluten-free recipe to kids in a cooking class, and there wasn’t even a noodle left (Sshhh!). Learn how to clean mushrooms. … [Read more...]

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Pappardelle with Wild Mushrooms, Rosemary and Light Tomato Sauce

01/23/2009 By dana Leave a Comment

I know it’s winter, but I crave tomatoes all year long. So I find ways to cook with them even though it is not seasonally correct. This sauce is as pure and flavorful as a tomato sauce should be, but you must start with good canned tomatoes (I like the San Marzano tomatoes best). The excitement comes from the mushrooms, which add earthy warmth to this perfect cold weather dish. You can use all sorts of mushrooms, including garden-variety white mushrooms. But I prefer to mix different varieties, such as trumpet, shiitake, and maitake, to keep things interesting. For this recipe, try to find pappardelle, a long, ribbon-shaped pasta with zigzag edges to catch the silky sauce. Recipe reprinted from Summertime Anytime (Clarkson Potter, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Pasta Recipes