Kale-Walnut Pesto Pasta and Oatmeal-Apple Scones

Friday night I made Kale-Walnut Pesto Pasta from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  It's a keeper.

This morning I made Oatmeal-Apple Scones, also from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  Also a keeper.  (Not surprising, since I'm a fan of her Blueberry Scones with Melted Peaches.)

zucchini carbonara

Last night I made zucchini carbonara for dinner, based on this recipe (from the erstwhile Bitten), but using the last of my leftover tarragon instead of mint and mezze penne instead of spaghetti.

Zucchini Carbonara

• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 or 4 small zucchini, about a pound, washed, trimmed and cut into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine or other long pasta [or any other pasta]
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped mint, parsley or basil [tarragon in this case]

• 1. Salt a large pot of water, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Put the olive oil into a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the zucchini, and cook, stirring only occasionally, until very tender and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with a little salt and a lot of pepper.
• 2. Beat the eggs and 1/2 cup of the cheese together. Add the pasta to the boiling water, and cook until it is tender but firm. When it is done, drain it, and combine it immediately with the egg-and-cheese mixture, tossing until the egg is cooked. Add the zucchini, and toss again. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
• 3. Toss in the herb, and serve immediately, passing the remaining cheese at the table.

Last night made Pasta with Tender Greens from Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook.

8 oz pasta, preferable whole wheat (I used whole wheat linguine)
1.5 lbs tender greens, such as spinach, pea shoots, arugula, shredded napa cabbage, etc. (I used shredded napa cabbage)
1/4 cup olive oil, butter, or a combination of both (I used olive oil)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (optional) (I used pre-grated Kraft sprinkle cheese)
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.  Add pasta; cook until tender but not mushy.  Add greens and cook until tender (this may take just ten seconds).  Reserve some of the pasta water and drain.  Toss the pasta and greens with the olive oil, then toss in the garlic, cheese, and plenty of black pepper, adding the reserved pasta water if necessary to keep it moist.

Very fast.  Pretty easy.  Appropriate vegetable:starch ratio.

But I thought the raw garlic was too harsh.  Also, I don't think I cooked the cabbage long enough.  The green parts turned bright green, which is when I drained it, but the yellow parts were still quite crunchy.  Probably should have added the yellow parts a few minutes before the green parts.

In conclusion: not a keeper.  If I were to try this recipe again, I would probably do it with a different mix of flavors: spinach instead of cabbage, and back off on the raw garlic.  Maybe toss the garlic in the boiling water to mellow it out.