HEY PRESTO…MIXED-HERBS PASTA
Psychgrad & Giz @ Equal Opportunity Kitchen are hosting the weekly round-up of Presto Pasta Nights this week. Presto Pasta Nights is the brainchild of Ruth & it’s amazingly on it’s 81st week. Pasta is a more than welcome option at home at any meal, so here’s an entry to PPN.
I’ve had this Bon Apetit ‘Mixed-herb Pasta’ recipe from Epicurious in my bursting folder for long but the only herbs I had were basil…& loads of it. Then one day the courier came with a well packed box & beautiful handwriting. Excitedly opened it to find the sweetest smelling fresh sage that Coco @ Ambrosia mailed to me from Mumbai. I jumped with joy as I love fresh herbs; sage is something that has been elusive for far too long. 
Coco told me she’d send me some as there was a place in Mumbai that sold fresh herbs. She’d included some fresh oregano but unfortunately the leaves didn’t survive the journey. There was rosemary too, but someone nicked the box with the rosemary…grrrrrrrrrr! I wanted very much to make a loaf of bread with a great crust etc…but was BANNED from making anything ‘exciting‘ on the cuisine front since the daughter was going to be away for the next 3 days on a school adventure camp. She made me swear I wouldn’t bake bread while she was away…& so I didn’t! I eventually made some mixed herb pasta because the sage was calling to me. Made some sage-potato salad & some canapes using the sage too. I loved my first experience with this wonderfully textured velvety herb. Thanks Coco…I love blogging & fresh herbs even more now!! 
adapted from Bon Appétit April 2002
Ingredients:
Olive oil – 3 tablespoons
Red bell pepper – 1 large, cut into thin strips
Yellow bell peppers – 1 large, cut into thin strips
Garlic cloves – 6 large, finely chopped
Dry white wine – 1 cup
Fusilli – 300 gms (the original used spaghettini)
Mixed fresh herbs – Coarsely chopped 1 1/2 cups(such as basil, parsley, tarragon, mint, and sage)
Feta cheese – 1 1/2 cups,crumbled
Method:
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Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add peppers and cook until crisp-tender, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
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Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add wine; boil until reduced by 1/3, about 2 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta and reserved cooking liquid to pot.
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Add pepper mixture, herbs, and cheese. Toss gently but thoroughly until cheese begins to melt. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
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If you like, you can garnish the pasta with fried sage leaves.
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Note: Don’t be tempted to decrease the quantity of herbs as the pasta will taste bland.
This post is also off to dear Ning @ Heart & Hearth who is guest-hosting this week’s ‘Bookmarked Event’ for Ruth @ Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments. Have a good week Ning & happy hosting!! If you have anything bookmarked & if you’ve had the time to make it, do blog about it & send it to bookmarked recipes HERE. Remember to check out the round-up next Monday.
This is what came back after 3 days…LOL!
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
26 Comments
Amrit
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michelle of bleeding espresso
Oh this looks so good. Mouth watering. Love pesto in all its forms, but this one looks especially lovely 🙂
michelle of bleeding espresso
P.S. Your daughter is adorable 🙂
coco
Gosh I was hoping you’d find a box of rosemary when you checked back. Gosh this absolutely suck – why would they steal a box of rosemary! I’m pretty positive that none of those courier guys would have a clue about what that really is. Was the seal of the box open? I will take it up with the courier company. This is just not done! Grrr
Happy cook
Pasta is always welcome in my place to as both daughter and hubby love them.
At least you got some of the herbs.
Psychgrad
That’s really sad about the herbs. But the sage looks like it survived and your pasta dish looks wonderful.
Thank you for participating in this week’s Presto Pasta Night!
What an amazing experience to go camping in the Himalayas.
Manggy
What a dear your daughter is, ensuring the rest of the family won’t have anything more special than they should when she’s away, hahaha!! 🙂 The pasta looks delicious, though– I hope she got to eat it!
I was about to say how lovely your daughter is, but I had to laugh at that last pic! I’ve experienced days like that too– it’s called the Pediatrics and OB-Gyne wards!
Divya
Sage! Why did’nt I ever think of using them in my cooking! I love itz flavor. You just gave me a brilliant idea.
Your daughter is adorable.
Divya Vikram
looks colorful n delicious..
Ivy
We’re on the same wave line. I posted my PPN dish today as well. Love pasta but have never tried fresh sage in a dish. Your daughter is so cute, reminds me of mine.
Bharti
The camp looks like so much fun…and gotta love the last picture!
How nice to have friends who mail you herbs! The pasta looks perfect- easy and flavorful!
I have to admit, I have sage growing in a pot outside, and I’ve hardly done anything with it.
CECIL
The camp just sounds so fun!! My husband used to do a lot of trekking to Himalayas in his ‘young’ age and all the pictures he took – just breathtaking.
Proud Italian Cook
Wow, it’s so beautiful there! I would love to see that in my lifetime. Your daughter is beautiful Deeba!
A_and_N
We love pasta and surely will try it. Your daughter is one hardy girl!
Elle
Ooooh, this looks fantastic, and here I am starving and waiting for dinner! Isn’t sage a gorgeous herb? It’s so pretty and has a wonderful flavor.
What a beautiful camp your daughter went to–and the Himalayas? That is too cool. You’re going to have to fight the boys away–your daughter is as beautiful as you are!
noble pig
What a nice pasta dish, I love mixed herbs in a lovely cup of noodles…yum.
Krysta
your daughter is beautiful! and it’s too bad about the herbs… but this dish sounds divine.
Ning
I love this pasta dish! It sounds yummy and easy to do! Bookmarked! 🙂
Your daughter is so pretty! And what a nice experience to be able to join camping! At the Himalayas, no less! Oooh! My girl would be green with envy! 🙂
OhioMom
Your pasta dish looks wonderful! Fresh herbs are wonderful in pasta dishes.
Your daughter is adorable 🙂
Snooky doodle
that plate of pasta looks so nice and mouth watering. Yummy. ou made me feel hungry
Gloria (Canela)
This paste look really nice and I LOVE YOUR PICTURES, your daugther is beauty too how you!!!! lovely pictures dear, nice family, xxxxGloria
Rosie
Oh Deeba your daughter is so beautiful.
Your pasta dish looks really good and wonderful pics as always 🙂
Rosie x
nadia
How lovely is she! but that last photograph is a classic!
“Camp grenada”
Susan from Food Blogga
Oh, I love the pictures of your family, Deeba!
familiabencomo
Mmmm, the pasta looks yummy.
How cool to go camping in the Himalayan foothills! I wish I were your daughter.
Tanti baci, my friend,
Amy
Jeanne
Sage is one of my all-time favourite herbs! And LOL – that picture of your lovely daughter is worht 1000 words. That’s how I feel every time I travel long-distance!