Any parent knows a big part of the job is being a fulltime detective, as you never quite know what to believe from your kids. My daughter came home from school with a story about an incident in the cafeteria. Seems someone dropped a plate of spaghetti on the floor. It was accidentally stepped in, and a huge mess ensued. The teachers on KP duty were not amused and promptly made everyone eat in silence, as no one confessed (a very smart thing in my approximation).
The next day, the teachers outlawed seconds from the cafeteria line (I guess because you're more likely to spill seconds then firsts???). As a result the student body decided to boycott the school lunch. This then precipitated many funny anecdotes from my daughter about lunches and lunch pails from those who don't usually pack a lunch. ("Mary Marshall brought cheese that looked a month old and an over-packaged cracker thingy that was a recycling nightmare.") It was all quite interesting to observe.
I'm not sure if the teachers' actions will deter accidents in the cafeteria, but it did prompt an increased awareness and discussions among the kids of what they're eating. And that is a good thing. As is our spring spaghetti recipe. Perfect for Easter Brunch or dinner, or the school lunchroom.
You can use whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator to make this classic pasta dish.
Tomato topping:
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon) |
| 3 | medium red, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 1/2 | cup chopped fresh basil leaves |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste |
Pasta and Alfredo Sauce
| 1 | pound spaghetti or spaghettini |
| 1/4 | cup lower sodium chicken broth |
| 1/2 | cup mascarpone cheese |
| 1/2 | cup heavy cream |
| 2/3 | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
Vegetables
| 1 | pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces |
| 2 | small zucchini, cut into 2-inch matchstick slices (about 1 1/2 cups) |
| 4 | asparagus spears, cut in thirds after breaking off their tough ends |
| 2 | cups fresh or frozen green peas |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| Freshly ground pepper | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon dried red pepper flakes |
| 1/4 | cup chopped parsley |
| 2 | tablespoons butter |
| Pine nuts (optional) |
Instructions
| 1. | To make tomato topping, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and tomatoes; cook about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up tomatoes any more than necessary. Stir in basil, salt and pepper to taste. |
| 2. | Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente—almost but not quite tender. Drain well, and set aside. |
| 3. | While spaghetti is cooking, make Alfredo sauce. Gently heat chicken broth, mascarpone cheese and cream in a very large saucepan. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth. Set aside. |
| 4. | In boiling water, cook broccoli 3 minutes. Add zucchini and asparagus and continue cooking until they are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add peas and cook 30 seconds if frozen, 1 minute if fresh. Drain vegetables well. |
| 5. | Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add vegetables, salt, pepper, pepper flakes and parsley. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes, stirring gently. Add butter; toss gently. |
| 6. | Add spaghetti to Alfredo sauce; toss to coat. Add vegetables, tossing and stirring over very low heat. |
| 7. | Serve spaghetti topped with the tomato topping. Garnish with pine nuts, if desired. Serves 6. |
Nutritional Information
Recipe by Joan Nathan.
If raiding the refrigerator were an Olympic sport, Bob Cobb would have won a gold medal.
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Barb Cantor, Edgewater, MD