spinach salad with mango and candied pecans

it's amazing what happens when you try a fruit you hate in the place where it comes from. has that ever happened to you, with any kind of food? like you normally hate gumbo, but then you're down in new orleans (my heart hangs heavy) and get the real deal and you're like wow, this is good.

six years ago (!!) mr. mimi and i enjoyed our honeymoon down in peru, and on our second week we stayed in the rainforest where of course there were fresh avocado and papaya trees, two of the fruits i typically hate eating. yeah, i know, advocado! weird, right? everyone loves avocado. well evidently i don't, unless it comes right off the tree. same with the papaya. buy me some up here in the US and i hate it. pick one off the tree in the rainforest and i love it. sure, i admit maybe it has something to do with the beauty of the place -- i fell in love with the fruit because i fell in love with being in the rainforest. i admit it because i know how closely food is tied to emotions and well-being (isn't that what "comfort food" is all about). but it's like my taste buds changed once i tasted what a real avocado should taste like.

same thing with the mango. i've always hated it. but down in haiti, mango trees are everywhere. it's the fruit du jour, tourjours! the first month i was in haiti i didn't eat any. but the second month i finally succumbed to needing some fruit in my diet and hesitatingly i ate my first mango in a really, really long time.

i loved it.

ok, maybe i admit i was in haiti and desperate for fruit in my diet -- that any fruit would have been delicious. but the mango was so fresh and juicy, with such a sweet flavor, but not like a berry sweet, just an unfamiliar (to me) tropical sweet. so when i came back home i went on a mango binge, 10 for $10 at the grocery store, done.

then i found this recipe and i was like hmm, mango and candied pecans?! what is not to like about that idea! and, indeed, i loved this salad, all three different flavors -- earthy spinach, tropical mango, and sweet candied pecans -- were wonderful.



spinach salad with mango and candied pecans: serves 4
adapted from bon appetit (april 2000, original recipe click here)

large piece of parchment paper
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tb olive oil
3 tb balsamic vinegar
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 lb baby spinach leaves
2 large mangos, diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. stir sugar, 1 tb oil, and 1 tb vinegar in skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes.

2. mix in pecans and stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats evenly, about 7 minutes. turn nuts out onto parchment paper, separating them to cool completely.

3. combine spinach, mango, and pecans in large bowl. whisk remaining 5 tb oil and 2 tb vinegar in small bowl to blend, season with salt and pepper. toss salad with dressing, and enjoy!

tangy sweet coleslaw

wow, you're still here?! thank you for hanging in there with my non-existent blogging. i'm not sure why i've been so quiet since i returned from nigeria.

i think part of it was because i kept a daily journal while i was there in order to reflect on what i saw and felt and also to keep my sanity when i was lonely. and when i was really, completely, desperately bored and lonely i would actually write backwards. yes, longhand writing but with the letters and sentences written backwards -- sort of like in a neurotic heeere's johnny kind of way. so to be back home and not have to write at all felt liberating.

another reason was because my taste buds were so disappointed when i first came home. my last week in nigeria i really started thinking about foods from home. i mean, the best thing about living in new york city is its sheer variety of cuisines. but when i came home, nothing tasted good at all. restaurant or home cooked -- everything was bland, nothing was satisfying. i was cranky and that made me crave even less, which only made me more cranky.

what slowly pulled me back to american style food was the grill. and everything that dining al fresco in my own backyard brings with it -- the charred meats, longer nights, white wine, and relaxation.





one of the first grills we had was baby back ribs, something i've never had before. actually i don't think i've ever had any kind of rib before. i liked them, although i don't know if i'd necessarily make them again [mr. mimi interjects here, "whaddaya mean?!? they were great, you loved them!" -- i did?! i honestly can't remember, which makes me believe that i didn't.]

but i found a great slaw to go with it. coleslaw is so easy to make, there's no reason to buy supermarket slaw that's gooped up with heavy mayo and all sorts of preservatives. this slaw by martha uses half mayo, half plain yogurt and it was refreshing. i was on the fence about the tomatoes -- i like tomatoes, and it adds color, but i didn't like the soft texture with the rest of the crunchy slaw. either way, if you invited me to your potluck grill, i might bring this side with me! for the recipe, click here.

arugula, carrot and celery root salad

for those who procastinate (like moi) and are still looking for a salad for tomorrow .... here's a perfect choice!

fine cooking's original recipe said it could serve 10-12 .... i halved the recipe and we still ate it all accompanied to a main meal. then again, i'm someone who could eat a big salad for dinner and be happy, but i could imagine even you carnivores would go for seconds with this one!

super easy to make, and the spiciness of the arugula would probably go great with all the sweetness of traditional thanksgiving fare.

every thanksgiving is special to me. but as i get ready to temporarily leave my family and friends for half a year, i'm going to be giving a lot of thanks this thursday. i hope you'll be celebrating with loved ones as well.



arugula, carrot and celery root salad: serves 2-4
adapted from fine cooking (jan 2009, p. 58)

2 tb apple cider vinegar
2 tb honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
3-4 tb olive oil
salt + pepper
3 medium carrots
1 small celery root
3 oz baby arugula
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. make vinaigrette: in small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, and mustard. whisk in oil and season with salt and pepper. this makes the whole batch of vinaigrette from the original recipe but you'll only use half for this serving size. serve with extra vinaigrette on the side, or save for another time.

2. wash and dry the arugula. peel and trim carrots and celery root, and grate into strips (great the celery root right before serving, as it may oxidize and turn brown if done too much earlier).

3. toss together the arugula, carrots, celery root, and half the almonds and cranberries with half the vinaigrette. season with salt and pepper to taste. sprinkle the rest of the almonds and cranberries on top.

spicy green salad with manchego and pears

tonight we went over to our neighbor's house for dinner (which was delicious btw, thanks k.!) and k. asked us to bring a side or salad. i knew she was making some mushroom risotto so i wanted to bring something with a bit of contrasting texture and spiciness or tartness.

i was tempted to make the broccoli crunch i saw recently on 101 cookbooks. but i needed something i could do quickly right between getting home from school and going over to her house.

this green salad was perfect for the meal, and a great salad if it is fall wherever you are. for ultra convenience you could certainly buy pepitas that are already toasted, but it's so easy to do it yourself and buying raw makes it more versatile for other uses. i did buy an arugula mix to make the grocery shopping simpler; you could probably use any sorts of greens you prefer, but do make sure it contains some spicier ones so they complement the sweetness of the pears and saltiness of the manchego.



spicy green salad with manchego and pears: serves 8
adapted from gourmet (nov 2007) found on epicurious

1/3 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/3 cup plus 1 tb olive oil
3 tb sherry or red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp grainy mustard
4 cups packed spicy greens (radish, watercress, arugula, etc)
4 cups packed frisée
1/2 lb piece manchego cheese, shaved into thin slices
8 small bartlett pears
salt + pepper

1. cook seeds in 1 tb oil in small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until puffed and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels and reserve oil. season seeds with salt and pepper.

2. whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. add remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and reserved pepitas oil from skillet in slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

3. cut around the core of each pear and cut slices 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick. toss pear and cheese slices with greens. drizzle dressing over salad and sprinkle with seeds.

salad days: mediterranean couscous and lentils

months ago the mimis were perusing the bulk items at fairway and came across lentils labeled "black beluga lentils." although they looked similar in shape and size as french green lentils, i wasn't sure what they would taste like. but with such a sexy name ... who in their right mind could refuse buying them?!

but then they languished on the pantry shelf, all pretty looking with nowhere to go. finally after a couple of days of takeout to compensate for a bare refrigerator, i was dying to make a home meal with whatever we had on hand. a little searching around epicurious and i found this wonderful, easy recipe.



mediterranean couscous and lentils: serves 6
from gourmet (sept 1995, via epicurious - click here)

1 cup lentilles du puy (french green lentils - or use black beluga lentils if you can find them!)
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 bunch arugula, chopped (we only had some wild greens, but with some bitter herbs and arugula included so we thought it might work – probably better with all arugula though)
2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved (we used regular tomatoes, chopped)
1/4 pound feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

1. in a small saucepan simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain well. transfer hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. cool lentils completely, stirring occasionally.

2. in a saucepan bring water to a boil and add couscous and salt. remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. stir in 1 tablespoon oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

3. in a small bowl whisk together garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. stir lentils and dressing into couscous. chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24. (note: we only chilled it to a warm room temp, for about 1 hour and it was still delicious!)

4. just before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

salad days: classic chicken caesar

my motto: if i salad is complicated, it shouldn't be made. and if it isn't tasty, it's just a bunch of rabbit food. this caesar is perfect on both points. we forgot to make the croutons, but a little less carbo is always a good thing anyway.



chicken caesar salad: serves 4
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 119)

4 oz italian bread, cut into cubes
3 tb olive oil
4 chicken cutlets (each about 2-3 oz)
1 package romaine lettuce leaves (18-20 oz)
salt + pepper

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup soy mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped (essential, not optional!)
1 small garlic clove

1. preheat oven to 375F. place bread on rimmed baking sheet. drizzle 2 tb olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. bake, tossing occasionally, until golden about 12-15 minutes. remove and let cool.

2. heat remaining oil in large skillet over high heat. season chicken with salt and pepper. cook until done, 1-2 minutes each side. remove and let cool. slice chicken crosswise into strips.

3. cut romaine hearts crosswise, wash and dry.

4. whisk together all ingredients for dressing until smooth (martha had you use a blender, but that is totally unnecessary).

5. toss all ingredients with a bit of drizzled dressing - a little bit at a time - caesar dressing is very strong and you won't need much for flavor. grate some extra cheese if you'd like on top of each plated salad.

salad days: light and easy

even though i'm currently a full-fledged omnivore, i still crave greenery and love having salads for dinner. here are two that were made quite a while ago, but would be perfect for the end of summer produce.

when mr. mimi first put some strawberries on one of our side salads, my first thought was creative but gross. and then i ate it. wowzers, i loved it. the sweetness complemented the tangy vinaigrette so well. and it felt so refreshing.



what i happily learned is you can basically add any fruit to a green salad and it is wonderful. this time we added nectarines to a romaine with tomatoes, avocado, red onion, and boca chick patties with a simple champagne vinaigrette for a big main salad. but really, you could use any summer fruits - plums and peaches (yumm, grilled peaches too) would be delicious!





another simple side salad we made was a mix of green and wax beans, tomatoes, and a spicy sesame-vinaigrette. if you've never used sriracha sauce, this is *the* spicy sauce - and now you can even get it on amazon! i bet you'll never go back to boring tabasco!

ncr: farmer's market salad with spiced goat cheese rounds

even though i am occasionally eating meat again, i feel like my heart and soul will always be vegetarian (shh, don't tell my friends i think i may return to vegetarianism sooner than later). i've wanted to join in the no croutons required event since it first started but kept missing it. and now i'm only one day away from the deadline, but i was determined to come up with something!!



this month, holler from tinned tomatoes is hosting a cheese salad theme for ncr. yumm, almost everything tastes better with cheese! one of my favorite starters at one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants is a simple bistro salad with warm goat cheese. i usually don't follow recipes for salads because they are so easy to compose with almost any ingredient, but i searched around epicurious and found something similar to that favorite, but with a seasoned twist.

i adapted the recipe to what we had on hand and my preference for roasted potatoes. the goat cheese rounds were excellent. i'd love to try this again later in the season with different produce. if you try this salad, i'm sure you won't be disappointed! the recipe reads long, but it is really quite simple and easy to compose. if you want something quicker, you can steam the potatoes instead.



farmer's market salad with spiced goat cheese rounds: serves 2
adapted from bon appétit (august 2007)

for goat cheese rounds:
1 tb sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
salt + pepper
4 oz log plain goat cheese, cut into slices

vinaigrette:
1 tb red wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 1/2 tb olive oil
salt + pepper

salad:
1/2 lb baby new potatoes
1/2 lb green beans
4 oz mixed salad greens
4 roma tomatoes, sliced (because we're out of season, would have preferred grape)
4 radishes, thinly sliced
handful baby carrots
handful olives
olive oil
salt + pepper

1. preheat oven to 375F. quarter the potatoes and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. place on baking sheet and roast until crisp and tender, about 1 hour.

2. meanwhile, make goat cheese rounds. mix all spices in bowl and dip cut sides of goat cheese into spice mixture. chill until ready to serve, but bring back to room temperature.

3. make the vinaigrette. whisk first four ingredients in small bowl, gradually whisk in olive oil. season with salt and pepper.

4. when potatoes are almost done, steam green beans until bright green and rinse under cold water. slice radishes and carrots if necessary. place greens in bowl, add green beans, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, olives, and potatoes. spoon vinaigrette on top and then surround with goat cheese rounds.

back to winter?

it was so cold tonight. what happened to spring? waiting for the bus in the windy rain, all i wanted to do when i came home was veg out and order in.

but two things happened. first, i had bundles of energy because i was supposed to play tennis tonight (and once i have something on my brain, it's there to stay). and second, i feel really badly having a delivery guy pedal around my italian, chinese, indian whatever when the weather is this bad. sure, i'll give him a super duper tip in addition to my usual generosity. but i still feel like cripey, if i can't be bothered to go out in the cold rain why should i make some poor mexican fella do it for me?



so we pulled together this easy, totally unseasonal meal to warm us up. it was ... meh. i still prefer my risotto vegetarian, with a bounty of vegetables or an earthy mushroom mix. but if you like prosciutto, then this might be the one for you. maybe served with some seared scallops? ymm, now that would've been tasty!



risotto with peas and prosciutto: serves 4 as main

1 cup arborio rice
1 qt vegetable broth
1 onion, finely diced
1 shallot, sliced
olive oil and 2 tb butter
1 bag frozen peas
4 oz prosciutto
a hunk of parmesan, grated

1. heat up vegetable broth to simmer. meanwhile, heat up oil and 1 tb butter in a rounded bottom pot, sautée onions and shallots until caramelized.

2. add rice and get toasty for about a minute or two. add a ladle of the heated broth, and then gently stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed. reduce heat to simmer. don't stir too much, or constantly, otherwise your rice will become gummy. just a few nice stirs to keep it moist is good.continue ladling and stirring until rice becomes al dente and creamy.

3. add 1 tb butter, prosciutto, peas, parmesan. give a good stir to combine. bring back up to heat (if you use frozen peas), then cover and turn off heat. let sit for 10 minutes.



to contrast with the creaminess of the risotto, we served a side romaine salad, with sliced red onions and a stawberry red wine vinaigrette. slice strawberries, sprinkle a little safflower oil (or other unflavored oil), a little red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper. toss to combine and then let sit for 10 minutes before adding to salad. super simple, but totally refreshing and light.

arugula with smoked trout and new potatoes

my shopping cart is majority organic products. but it's a range of dedication and decision. all dairy, eggs, meat, body products, and cleaning products = always organic. salad greens, leafy greens, broccoli, bananas, and berries = most likely always organic. mushrooms, oranges, and onions = probably not organic.

but what i love even more than buying organic, is going to the farmer's market. even though i know many of the vendors use traditional fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, i'd like to think that a smaller production farm needs to use less. i'm happy to spend more and financially support these smaller farms. and really, this freshly harvested stuff just tastes better, hands-down.

farmer's market potatoes

this weekend we found ourselves in union square and decided to check out the market, picking up things here and there, especially focusing on items that are typically not available at our neighborhood farmer's market. i saw a vendor with lovely greens, gorgeous and fresh. i scooped up a little bit of arugula and some radish sprouts.


and then i checked out ... and the bill was nearly $20. for a handful of arugula and a fistful of sprouts, enough for two people. yes, i know it was going to be more expensive, and i support that expense, on principle. but wow, almost twenty bucks. and i couldn't even feign ignorance (like i did last summer in geneva when everything was priced in ounces and my bulk nuts came to like 50 francs. a quick flustered je suis désolée and i meekly only bought half of them).

which brings me to an interesting article i read two weeks ago in the times about the price of organic foods. we all know that almost all foods - organic, local, or otherwise - are going up in price right now and we're all making different changes.

but when organic or local becomes much more expensive (five bucks for a dozen eggs, seven bucks for milk, twenty bucks for salad greens for two, etc) then what happens? how can i say it's better? how can i convince others that it's worth it, especially when they might not have the extra money to begin with? what are the trade-offs? frick, how can i convince myself that it's worth it on my non-profit salary budget? sometimes i can't. i always bought fair-trade organic sugar but now i get the boxes of regular stuff for my baking.


but i know what you really want to know is, well how was the arugula and radish sprouts? was the bunch worth the jackson? check it out for yourself ...

arugula with smoked trout and new potatoes: serves 4
adapted from martha's everyday food magazine (may 2008, p. 96)

1 lb new potatoes, quartered
1 lb smoked trout, broken into smaller pieces
3 tb white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup snipped chives
10 oz arugula
handful of radish sprouts (or any other crunchy sprouts)
olive oil
salt + pepper

1. preheat oven to 450F. toss potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. place on baking sheet and roast until tender, about 25 minutes (longer if larger pieces).

2. while potatoes are cooking, whisk together vinegar, mustard, chives, 2 tb olive oil. season with salt and pepper.


3. toss arugula, potatoes, smoked trout pieces, and a little bit of vinaigrette. bon appétit!

as you see, i still need to work on my lighting set-up. these lovely shots look like a last quarter of the moon :)




and sorry that some of you may have three copies of this post in your feeder reader! that's the way blogger sucks, huh?

warm spinach salad with fried egg and potatoes

today was nipply cold here in the city. the early afternoon sunny skies were just a tease for the gusts and snowflakes that would somehow arrive at the exact time i walked out of the prince street station for a shopping binge. the snow part (the little that fell) was a welcome sight, as even i, miss-i-hate-winter, do like the childish joy that seems to come from nowhere when i feel snowflakes falling on my face. and i really miss those all out nor'easter blizzards that seem to be a thing of the past.

but i absolutely hate strong winds in the city. i have this paralyzing fear that debris (scaffolding, bricks, glass, signposts, whatever) will break loose and come flying straight towards my head. yes, i know, this is completely neurotic, but IT DOES HAPPEN. so don't blame me if i walk through the streets in a complete haze, steeling my jaw at every whip, snap, and crack heard against the wind. it goes along with that same only-in-new-york fear when i am forced to walk over sidewalk grates. again, it does happen!! i've learned to deal with that by holding my breath every time i have to walk over one. as if somehow the lack of oxygen will be my savior if i fall onto a con edison transformer. whatever it takes to get me across the street!

so after a cold afternoon of running errands to here, here, and here (which that last one, by the way, was a total bust; more in another post) we were in the mood for just a super easy dinner. i had been wanting to try this meal since i read about it last month. i love spinach. i love eggs. i love potatoes. so a salad with all three sounds like a yummy winner to me!!

i did use two eggs instead of one, and i don't like sunnyside, so my photo doesn't look as pretty as martha's. however it was just as tasty as i had imagined!

this also reminds me of the mark bittman blog entry that nicole over at pinch my salt references. while we tend to make vinaigrettes for certain dishes, usually i am just lazy and end up buying salad dressings, albeit better than average ones. however, after making this dish, and reading the reasons why no vinaigrette (or dressing in general) should be store bought, the mimis have resolved to do homemade dressings from now on!

warm spinach salad with fried egg and potatoes: serves 4
adapted from martha's everday food magazine (dec 2007, p. 115)

4 yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
olive oil
canola oil
salt + pepper
2 tb olive oil for vinaigrette
2 tb red-wine vinegar
1 tb dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 bunches baby spinach (2 lbs total), washed well and torn
2 oz parmesan cheese, shaved with peeler
8 large eggs

1. preheat oven to 375F. toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. place on sheet pan and roast until golden and tender, 30-40 minutes.

2. meanwhile, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and shallot. season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine.

3. in large bowl, combine spinach, parmesan, and vinaigrette. add potatoes. toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted.

4. heat skillet with canola oil over medium. gently crack eggs into skillet and cook over medium (or really, however soft your prefer). top each salad with the fried eggs and serve immediately.

tossed in vinaigrette

protein, veggies, carbs ... yummm!

rigatoni with sausage and parsley

tonight's dinner is thanks to a pairing suggestion by martha. but it also helps to alleviate that age old problem of "what should i do with the rest of this bunch of herbs?" wherein that beautiful bunch of whatever green herb is used for one inspired dish, with the rest only to languish away to a wimpy mess of nothing in the bottom of the crisper. this problem is easily solved in the summer, when we grow our own favorite herbs and then only cut what we need. but in the winter, when herbs are only store-bought, i feel so guilty not using all of it.

this dinner was really superb, and to me, much better than the recipe we tried on sunday night. we also took advantage of the winter season by using other citrus than just plain navels. and of course since we are not quite full-fledge carnivores, we used boca sausage instead of the real stuff. still tastes just as good, if not better! :)

fennel, orange, and parsley salad: serves 4
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 271)

1 large fennel bulb (about 1 lb)
2 navel oranges
3 mandarin oranges
2 blood oranges
2/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tb slivered pitted kalamata olives
1 tsp olive oil
salt + pepper to taste

1. trim fennel bulb. quarter, core, and thinly slice cross-wise.

2. use paring knife and remove peel and pith from oranges. separate oranges into segments and add to the bowl. squeeze peels over bowl for extra juices.

3. add fennel, parsley, olives, and olive oil. season with salt and pepper. gently toss and serve. make sure to spoon out some of the juices to each plate. 

fennel, orange, parsley salad

rigatoni with sausage and parsley: serves 4
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 325)

1 package boca italian sausage
2 medium red onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 lb rigatoni
2 cups fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
salt + pepper
olive oil

1. in large skillet heat olive oil. cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned, remove to plate. reduce heat to medium, add onions. cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes. slice sausage to about 1/4 inch thick and then return to pan. add broth and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes.

2. meanwhile in large pot of boiling salt water, cook pasta until al dente. drain and return to pot.

3. add sausage mixture and parmesan to pasta. toss to combine. season with salt and pepper. garnish each plate with a little parsley and extra parmesan. (if you're going to have all 4 servings immediately, you can combine the parsley with all the pasta and sausage, but because we were only going to have the 2 servings, we did it individually so the herb would not get brown in the leftovers.)

rigatoni with sausage and parsley