This dish is a combination of spinach and black olives with noodles (or pasta). For the noodles it can be egg noodles, lo mein noodles or soba noodles. And, of course, you can substitute spaghetti, linguine, etc. That’s why I use the term “easy noodles.”    Anything you have on hand will do. For the recipe itself, you just boil the noodles and, while that’s being done, you sauté the spinach with garlic and onions. Then add the olives and a mix of water, cornstarch and sasôn, a seasoning and flavoring popular in what we call Criollo cuisine. or native Puerto Rican cooking.  The sasón you can find in almost any store or supermarket these days. Goya makes a good brand. Essentially, this is an easy enough dish that family and friends will enjoy more than once—and it makes for a great vegetarian meal.

Note that in this ripe, processed olives contain a lot of salt as it is. So, you may be judicious with the additional salt content used in the recipe. Just use your common sense. the rest is fairly easy.

Ingredients:

1 pound lo mein  or soba noodles (can substitute spaghetti or linguine)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 cup black olives, sliced in half
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a pot or Durch oven, bring water 4 quarts to a rolling boil.
2. Add noodles, cover and cook 4 minutes
3.  Add spinach and cook, stirring, breaking up chunks of frozen spinach in boiling water. Cook another 4 minutes.
4.  Meanwhile, while noodles and spinach are cooking, in a cup mix ½ water, cornstarch, oregano and turmeric.
5.  Drain noodles, put back in pot and add water-spice mixture, stir to combine.
6. Add olives, season with salt and pepper and cook another 2 minutes. Top with a couple of pats of butter and serve.
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

I’ve been on an eggplant kick lately. We acquired three large eggplants and what do we do with them? So I had to make up recipes on the spot to use this succulent vegetable. One of these efforts was the recipe given today: Rigatoni with Eggplant. Also, this dish goes good with any pasta, not just rigatoni. Since we had rigatoni on hand that’s we used. It can also pair well with penne or ziti or elbow macaroni, you get the idea. Whatever is in your cupboard will work. Even with Japanese Ramen noodles. This is a recipe for all pasta seasons.

Note that eggplant is one of those unique vegetables. If you purchased eggplant and it’s young and fresh, you could cook it right away. However, if it’s been in the cupboard or the fridge for a day or so, or longer, then it’s best to sprinkle it with salt and let it stand 30 minutes. This will remove any excess moisture; help prevent the eggplant from becoming soggy and reduces bitterness. Just remember to rinse it before cooking.

Lastly, this recipe calls for crumpled cheese to be included with the pasta and eggplant. You can used whatever cheese you have available. We did it with a combination of cheddar and mozzarella. But even American cheese will work. I know, some of my high-class friends would cringe at that suggestion. Again, go with your taste buds.

RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT

Ingredients:

1 pound package rigatoni or pasta of choice
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium green pepper, washed and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 medium tomato, washed and chopped
½ cup cheese of your choice (see above).

Instructions:

1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large pot, frypan or skillet over moderate heat. Add eggplant cubes and green pepper and stir-fry until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Season with salt, pepper and oregano
4. Add cooked rigatoni, tomato and cheese. Stir to mix and serve immediately.
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

Sometimes a recipe comes about because of the things you have on hand, and just plain necessity. It’s serendipity really. You have some ingredients and you have to come up with something for dinner. This Penne with Zucchini dish is such an effort. It makes for a great pairing. With a crusty loaf of bread and some good red wine, you have a vegetarian banquet your family and friends will long remember.

Note that the recipe calls for water or chicken broth. The easiest way to make chicken broth is to add a chicken bouillon cube to the water. That’s it—unless you make your own chicken broth by steaming  chicken in water and then saving the water for later use. Use whatever method benefits you best. Also, it calls for sazón, an ingredient that has become very popular in Puerto Rican cooking. The two most popular brands are Sazón Goya or Sa-sôn Accent. Either one is good.

PENNE WITH ZUCCHINI

Ingredients:

1 pound package penne (or favorite pasta be it tubular or string)
2 medium zucchini, about 1½pounds, washed and sliced into¼-inch rounds
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups water or chicken broth
½ teaspoon oregano
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 packet Sazόn Goya or Sa-sόn Accent

Instructions:

1. Cook penne according to package directions.
2. While penne is boiling, in a sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until well blended and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Gradually add water or broth, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in oregano, salt, pepper and sazόn.
5. Add zucchini and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
6. Drain penne, place back in pot, add the sauce and stir to mix.
7. Transfer to a serving dish or platter and serve.
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

One of my favorite meals is pasta with olive spread and assorted vegetables. In most cases, I prefer Kalamata olive spread, which you can find in the supermarket aisles with all the jarred olives, peppers and pickles; or in the refrigerated section. Some folks prefer green or black olive spread, or tapenade, a blend of black and green olives. Choose what your palate dictates. In terms of pasta, this time around we went with fettuccini, what I term a “hearty-man pasta,” just like bucatini or perciatelli. I like big, thick stringed pasta. If desired, you can substitute linguini or spaghetti. For the vegetables, I added two summer favorites: tomatoes and zucchini.

Ingredients:

1 pound package fettuccini
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving.
¾ pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
3 medium zucchini or 2 large ones
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Kalamata spread
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup feta cheese crumbled (about 1½ ounces)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain.
2. In same pot that you cooked pasta, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes and zucchini, and cook, starring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes,
3.  Return pasta to pot. Stir in Kalamata spread and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 large bowls, drizzle with additional olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and feta, and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.