Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Simple Says It Best - Fagottini with Olive Oil, Garlic & Herbs

When serving pasta, sometimes the sauce is everything. It can be rich...spicy...creamy...with seafood...or sausages...you know what I mean. All you have to do is pick a pasta that either holds sauce (like penne or other spiral or cup-shaped pasta) or coats easily (especially the creamy or pesto rich sauces - long skinny pasta are my favorites for these).

But sometimes, you need to let the pasta itself be the star...like last night's Fagottini. I couldn't resist these cute bundles at the grocery store. They're filled with eggplant, zucchini, onions, carrots, celery and spinach, according to the packages and I really didn't want to overwhelm them with a sauce. So I did the simplest and, in my opinion, best thing....after draining the pasta, I put a little spritz of olive oil in the hot empty pot, added 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced and swirled it around, just to get the aroma going. Then I added the fagottini and a handful of fresh parsley, basil and oregano, coarsely chopped. I added a handful of freshly grated Parmesan and some black pepper...a final toss and voila - an unbelievable dinner!

I guess the thing I love best about pasta dinners, is that they can be as complex or as easy as your mood and the contents of your pantry. What's on your table tonight?

Don't forget to join in the Presto Pasta Night fun this week.

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5 comments:

Sara said...

I don't think I've ever heard of that pasta before. They sound delicious though.

Katie Zeller said...

Garlic, olive oil and sage is one of my favorite ways of finishing pasta.
I love those little bundles! Were they as good as they sound?

Ruth Daniels said...

Sara, I hadn't either. The fresh pasta was President's Choice brand. Not sure if you get it out west.

Katiez, they were!

Thanks for dropping by.

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

The Fagottini sounds great, I haven't tried it before! I think you are right though, whenever I have fresh filled pasta, I just serve it with a little butter, a grating of parmesan and top with a little fresh parmesan. Delicious!

chemcookit said...

Oh wow, this sounds absolutely delicious!!! What a great idea to try.... mmm.. maybe the possible stuffed pasta I make will be this fagottini, and your sauce seems perfect!