I've done it again! I made a dish that I've been wanting to post about, and only in the end did I take a picture of it - not even thinking about my blog, I just wanted to send it to a friend. So it's not even the best photo either. Oh well...! But anyway, I'm not going to wait till next time... to forget about it again. No, the time is right now to post about this wonderfully tasty dish, which my mom once had in a restaurant called Red Dog, then copied it, and we've been calling it that ever since. (So no, no dogs have been harmed in making this dish!)
Simple, Yet Exquisit Ingredients
So what is this dish really? Originally it was made with fetuccini and feta cheese. Easy to remember, but not necessary to stick to it. In yesterday's interpretation, for example, I used some tortiglioni, as I had some of it left at home. As for the feta, I substituted it with what's called panela cheese in Mexico. Turns out, it is almost the same exact thing (generic "white cheese") but for half the price, maybe a bit less salty, and without the Greek flags on the packaging.
Other than that, the dish includes spinach, broccoli, a red bell pepper, leek, black olives, and sun-dried tomatoes more or less similar amounts of all of them. In my version I used red olives instead, since that's what I found in the store this time, and I skipped the sun-dried tomatoes, which they didn't have. Oh well, that's what I get for not making my own...
Follow Your Gut Feeling
Instead of an exact recipe, where each ingredient is measured precisely, I want to give you a sort of inspiration to improvise on. Not that this dish has a long history anyway. First I cook the pasta (I suppose there were around 250 g of it). In the meantime I cut the bell pepper and the broccoli, and start toasting them on a bit of olive oil in a large pan. A wok is perfect for this. That's right: I don't mind heating up the olive oil. Sure, it may lose some of its nutritional value, but it keeps its delicious taste, which tops vegetable or sunflower oils anytime. Btw, my other alternative for frying is butter, but that would not combine so well with this Mediterranean dish.
Fast Cooking on High Flame
Next I cut the leek and the spinach, and by the time they are cut, the pepper and the broccoli should be nice and soft, and the pasta al dente. So after draining the noodles, the rest of the ingredients can go in the wok at the same time. Pour some olive oil on top and give it a good stir. The leek and the spinach should come to pieces in no time, and the cheese should become soft and creamy. Ideally, the broccoli and the peppers should remain a bit crunchy, so it won't need a lot of time on the fire.
Season To Your Heart's Desire
Add some salt, and you may season it with whatever you think fits best. Black pepper and garlic powder add a nice touch, and of course kitchen herbs: basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme... You may also enjoy a little bit of crushed chilis, if you're into that.
And that's it!
Way too simple to merit its own post? Could be - which is why I haven't written about it until now. But is it worth trying? For certain! With its sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and cheese, it is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a veggie pasta / hot pasta salad. Of course you're welcome to add other thing you think will fit well.
To find other recipes and food related posts I have published, please visit my You Are What You Eat post collection.
