Bacon, Linguine and Tomato Pasta with Blue Cheese

1 T butter
2 T chopped shallots
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 1/4 c whipping cream
2 T chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil

12 ounces linguine

4 slice bacon chopped
4 medium tomatoes peeled, seeded and copped
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 c freshly grated parmesan
1/3 c crumbled blue cheese

Melt 1 T butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauce until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream, parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes. ( can be prepared a day ahead). Cook linguine in pot of boiling salted water. Boil until tender and drain.
In a skillet, cook chopped bacon till browned and add chopped tomatoes. Next, add the bacon and tomatoes to the drained linguine. Add sauce to the linguine and place on a platter/bowl. Stir in cilantro and top with cheeses.

Jeannie B's Summer Pasta Salad

3 TSoy

3 T Water

3 tsp. white vinegar

1/2 tsp  Sugar

2 large Roasted red pepper quarters ( from jar or make them yourself, remove skins)

1/4 c Gr. Onions

3 large leaves Basil, chiffonade

3/4 c sauteed sliced almonds

2 T Flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 cubes frozen pesto, thawed

Ziti or rigatoni noodles -  1/2 box

Boil noodles according to package directions. Run under cold water, toss with some oil to keep from sticking together. In a pot, mix together, soy, water, sugar and vinegar.  Heat. Stir till sugar is dissolved.

When noodles have cooled, add roasted red peppers, green onions, basil, almonds, parsley, and pesto. Chill until ready to serve.

I wanted to post a picture of my pasta but the bowl was finished before I had a chance to get it so I got this picture from Foodgawker.

I love making pesto and freezing it- it's a good time of the year to be making pesto! Leaves are large and plentiful!

Here is my recipe for my basil pesto:

3 c basil leaves

1/2 c pine nuts

2 large garlic cloves

1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

slat and pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil

Add first 4 ingredients, including pepper, in a food processor. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream. It usually is about 1/4 c . Take a look in your bowl to see how the pesto looks. Sometimes I have added too much and the pesto looks like it is swimming. So you need to add slowly and stop to look.

Then with a teaspoon, scoop up an amount and spoon it into an ice cube tray.

Enjoy!!

Pasta with Pistachios, Meyer Lemon and Broccoli

Recipe adapted from Jeff Cerciello, the artisan market at Farmshop, Santa Monica, CA.
1 c shelled pistachios
1T Kosher salt
1 1/2# medium, tubed pasta
1 large head broccoli, trimmed
2 garlic cloves
Juice and zest of 1 Meyer Lemon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 c flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 c mint leaves
1 1/2 c evoo
2 T finely chopped chives
Seas Salt
Fennel pollen ( optional)
On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pistachios for 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and cool then coarsely grind in a food processor. Transfer the ground pistachios to a bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some Kosher salt and the pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 8 minutes. When pasta is almost finished add the broccoli to the pot and cook for 2 minutes more. Reserved 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta and broccoli through a colander.
In the same processor, combine, garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes and kosher salt and grind to a fine paste. Add parsley and mint and pulse to make a rough paste. With the motor running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer to a medium saucepan and stir in the ground pistachios.
Add the pasta water to the pesto; bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta broccoli and pesto. Stir in the lemon h
juice and set aside for 5 minutes. To serve, divided the pasta among plates or bowls and garnish with the grated cheese, chives, sea salt and fennel pollen if using.