03 October 2010

Lemony Greek Pasta


I've begun to post this recipe three or four separate times, but I always get stumped on what really to say about it. Basically, I took my very favorite potato recipe which I have yet to post and swapped the potatoes for farfalle pasta. The results were intense.
I've heard a lot about all those "one pot spaghetti" dishes where you cook the pasta right in the sauce. I also read about Dan from The Food in my Beard cooking pasta in coffee and Rachel Ray cooking pasta in wine on Iron Chef America. The concept intrigued me.

My potato dish basically involves roasting a bunch of thinly sliced potatoes in a soup of lemon, olive oil, vegetable broth, herbs, and tomato paste until the potatoes are tender and the soup has turned into a thick, delicious sauce. You may be familiar with this type of potato dish if you eat at a lot of Greek restaurants. Well, I could live of these potatoes. They are SO delicious. Unfortunately, people tend to frown upon an entire main course of potatoes. Pasta, however... everyone loves a big bowl of pasta.

Trade the taters for bowties and the casserole dish for a sauce pan and I was ready to rock. The result, while lacking the yummy potato flavor, had a nice texture and was REALLY rich. So rich, in fact, that it might still be better as a side dish than a main course. Unless you really love lemon, like me.

p.s. It's vegan by default. Dontcha love dishes like that?

Lemony Greek Pasta
Ingredients
1 box farfalle pasta
1 large yellow onion
1 large tomato
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Alright. Now I made this a few weeks ago so some of the measurements may be slightly off, but it's a pretty simple recipe. Adjust as you see fit.

1. Begin by dicing the onion and tomato.

2. Add one or two tablespoons of olive oil to a medium saucepan. Add the onions and let sweat until almost translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute until the onions are beginning to caramelize. Add tomatoes.

 3. Cook for 1-2 minutes more and then add the lemon juice, olive oil, vegetable broth, and oregano to the pot.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
sidenote: I guess what kind of pasta you use is up to you- pasta is pasta and any kind will soak up the sauce. I chose farfalle because its size and shape is similar to that of the potato slices that would usually be used in this dish.
5. Once the liquid mixture is boiling, add the farfalle. There should be a decent amount of remaining liquid. If there isn't, add more vegetable broth. Allow to simmer, uncovered, until most of the liquid is soaked up and the pasta is tender.
6. Serve with additional oregano, fresh parsley, or just the way it is. It would probably be good with some crusty bread, too.

Happy October to all :)

Love,
MSoSS

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