well-behaved women rarely make... pasta sauce?

Puttanesca is a dish with a history as colorful as a Tommie dePaola book. And that, perhaps, is why I like it so very much. I smile thinking of those Neapolitan ladies of leisure concocting this sauce to woo their men. I can imagine the draw - the scent of a simmered sauce "tarted up" with capers and olives wafting out over moon-lit cobbled streets; the way to the heart found through the stomach. It's as vivid in my imagination as it is in my bowl.

Certainly does warm things up a bit, doesn't it?

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Ingredients:
2 Tb. olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (more or less, to suit your tastes)
1 - 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes in puree (or any whole, peeled tomatoes in puree)
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and broken into large chunks
1/4 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and broken
1/4 jarred capers, drained (rinsed if you desire)
a handful of torn fresh basil leaves

1 Lb. dried spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

While water is coming to boil, prepare the sauce. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the tomatoes in their puree, until broken, but not smooth. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds or just until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the processed tomatoes and their puree, the salt, and the pepper to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, partially covered. Add the artichokes, roasted red pepper, olives, and capers, and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes, while the pasta cooks. Remove the sauce from heat and add the torn basil leaves. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and add the sauce, tossing to coat the pasta.
Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan and wink or two.

garden to table

I peek at my vegetables. I sneak into the garden and gently pull away zucchini leaves to see the gorgeous yellow blossoms announcing the impending arrival of a deep green bounty. I brush away beet greens and carrot tops to catch a glimpse of the baby roots just emerging from the dirt, ever a tiny bit larger in circumference each day. Sometimes I even pull a 'tester' to check on the progress (and to thin out the rows, I tell myself). I think I'm really only one short step away from taking a measuring tape to the newly formed tomatoes. Soon. So soon. They'll all be here.

On the other hand, how could one possibly wait when greeted by these:

Did you know fennel has roots? I didn't. I didn't really think about it, I guess - I think I just assumed it grew like any other bulb. Now I know. These lovely babies were my 'testers' the other day. Their cohorts are growing quite nicely in their little spot, but I just had to try these while they were still young.
I don't regret it.
I'll probably do it again.
fennel, white beans and artichokes with Parmesan polenta

Ingredients:

1 Tb. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 baby or 1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (and cored if necessary), a few fronds chopped and reserved for garnish
salt and pepper
1 small (6.5 oz.) jar of quartered artichoke hearts (mine were marinated; canned artichokes would also be fine), drained
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tb. fresh basil, chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced fine (more or less to taste)
3 whole, peeled plum tomatoes and 1/4 C. tomato sauce from a can of whole, peeled plum tomatoes
1 - 16 oz. can of white beans (navy or cannellini)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel and saute just until onion is transparent, about 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and a couple grinds of fresh pepper. Add artichokes, thyme and basil (if using) and cook another minute. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or the back your spoon. Pour in the reserved tomato sauce and add the beans, stirring gently to combine and cooking until heated through.
Serve with Parmesan polenta (recipe follows) and garnish with reserved chopped fennel fronds.

Parmesan polenta

(I can't say enough about Bob's Red Mill medium grind cornmeal. It is so good. It just doesn't compare to any other widely available cornmeal for making such things as polenta, grits, cornbread, muffins, or corn cakes. It's my favorite and really worth seeking out.)

Ingredients:

4 C. water
3/4 C. medium grind cornmeal or polenta (such as Bob's Red Mill)
salt and pepper
1/2 Tb. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tb. butter
1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan (3-quart, or thereabout) bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, pour in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the while to avoid lumps and fully incorporate smoothly. Continue whisking fairly frequently for 15-20 minutes or until mixture has thickened, maintaining a smooth consistency. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (I use roughly 2 pinches of salt and 1/8 tsp. of pepper), add the thyme, butter and cheese, and whisk to combine (the butter and cheese will melt and incorporate).
Serve topped with fennel, white beans, and artichokes (recipe preceding)