Category: New Menu Monday

Revisiting a summer favorite:

Pasta Caprese

• 9 oz linguine or fettuccine
• 2 -3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 6 oz cubed mozzarella
• salt & pepper to taste

saucepan and large serving dish

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, mix the remaining ingredients together. Drain pasta completely (dab with paper towels, if necessary) then add to tomato mixture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve warm or you can refrigerate and serve cold.

I use a fairly expensive mozzarella for this dish because it’s softer, tastier, and absorbs more flavors. Any locally produced mozzarella would work. Also, my local farmers’ market has a pasta vendor, who hand-makes many flavors of pasta. This dish works very well with flavored pastas – fire-roasted chili, lemon pepper, tomato basil, red bell pepper – the list goes on. You can also change up the cheese to a Queso Blanco (again, use a fairly expensive or locally produced one), use cilantro instead of basil, and use a chili-flavored pasta for a whole new dish. The possibilities are endless.

As summer is in full swing and my garden struggles along, I realized I had quite a few crushed tomatoes leftover from last year. Time to use a few up, and what better way than a nice spaghetti dinner.

And while my zucchini plants have yet to emerge, there are very nice, small, and flavorful ones at my local grocers.

1. Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce
2. Zucchini Italiano
3. Crusty Italian Bread
4. Sherbet or even better, Gelato

Marinated Beef Kebabs:

• 1 lb sirloin, cut into at least 12 chunks
• 2 tbsp soy
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 red onion, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 small zucchini, each cut into 4 pieces
• Additionally, add cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or green peppers
• 1 tbsp oil

4 metal skewers