the thin chef

If you’ve read this blog before, you know I have a serious love affair with pasta. Same goes for summer. So on my own for dinner last night, I decided to combine these loves in a light, perfect-for-hot-weather supper. To me, the flavors of shrimp, corn, lemon and dill blend seamlessly, and tossed with pasta, it was my nod to the last few weeks of summer.

Summer Pasta
serves 2
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 to 16 medium shrimp
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb fresh or dried linguine (any pasta would do, really)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
Juice from one lemon

In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter and olive oil together over medium-high heat until butter starts to bubble. Add shrimp and corn to skillet and add salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta per package directions. (If using dried pasta, start cooking pasta before you start the shrimp and corn.) Cook corn and shrimp, stirring often, until shrimp are opaque and just barely firm. Lower heat to medium, add zest and dill, and toss to combine.

When pasta finishes, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Toss pasta with corn mixture, adding pasta water a few spoonfuls at a time until everything is combined. Off the heat, add lemon juice and toss once more to combine. Serve topped with additional fresh dill, if desired.

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One of my favorite go-to comfort meals is pasta with tomatoes and sour cream. I think my mom created this dish out of empty-fridge/late-dinner frustration, but there’s something about the combination of the creamy, lightly tangy sour cream and the freshness of tomatoes (especially delicious summertime tomatoes*) that just works. With a heavy dose of freshly grated Parmesan and a handful of fresh spinach wilted in, it could just be my perfect comfort supper.

Creamy Tomato Pasta
serves 2
1/2 pound dried short pasta (such as orzo, penne, rotini…)
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes*
1/3 cup sour cream (reduced fat works fine here)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 or 3 big handfuls of washed baby spinach, stems removed

Cook pasta according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, score the skin of the tomatoes with a paring knife in an X shape. Dunk tomatoes into the boiling pasta water for about 30 seconds or until skin starts peeling away from flesh. Remove with a slotted spoon and run under cool running water for a few seconds to cool.

Peel skin from tomatoes and cut in half. Discard seeds and excess liquid, then roughly chop. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream and Parmesan. When pasta is al dente, drain and return to pot over very low heat. Add olive oil, stir, then add sour cream mixture. Toss in tomatoes and spinach and stir until everything is combined and the spinach is wilted.

This is best eaten on the couch in comfy clothes.

*You can use canned tomatoes, drained, when the tomatoes aren’t in season but it’s not quite the same. “Amarosa” tomatoes in the grocery store tend to be pretty good almost year round. They’re pricey, but worth it.

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When I’m on my own for dinner, I always have a silent debate with myself: cook and deal with the dishes and cleanup or take the easy road and order takeout. Tonight, my inner cook won out and I went straight to my go-to dinner for one — pasta. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a pasta dish I didn’t like. Simple or fancied up, it’s one of the easiest and most satisfying things you can make.

I went to Publix and wandered the produce aisle for inspiration and my eyes landed on some bright green asparagus. I wanted shallots, but there were none, so a Vidalia onion went in the basket. Goat cheese with fine herbs and some “fresh” (soft, refrigerated) fettucine completed my shopping spree.

At home, I thought some herbes de Provence (a dried blend of rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay, thyme, and sometimes lavender), pine nuts and lemon zest might round out the dish. I was right. It was creamy, fresh and satisfying…a perfect meal for one. (Though it would easily double.)

Fettucine with Asparagus and Goat Cheese
serves 1
1/4 pound fettucine
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Half a small onion or 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
10 asparagus spears
10 grinds fresh black pepper
1/2 tablespoon pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 to 2 ounces soft goat cheese

Cook fettucine per package instructions. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion or shallot, a pinch of salt and herbes de Provence and cook, stirring, until onions are opaque and tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add in asparagus and pepper, and cook until asparagus are bright green and tender and the onions are golden in places. If skillet seems dry, sprinkle with a bit of water.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast pine nuts until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

When pasta is done, drain and add to skillet and add a few spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, add goat cheese to taste and toss. Top with toasted pine nuts and serve.

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