The First Supper

A simple supper to start.

Gemelli with Caramelized Red Onions, Goat Cheese and Thyme
Tossed Green Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan and Parsley
Salted Caramel over Vanilla Ice Cream






Gemelli with Caramelized Red Onion, Goat Cheese and Thyme

The key to an amazing pasta dish is amazing ingredients. For this dish I used fresh thyme picked from the garden, a homegrown lemon, a beautiful red onion that looked like a cross between a red onion and a shallot from a local vegetable stand, and handmade dried pasta from an Italian specialty shop. Finally, fresh and local extra virgin olive oil finishes off this simple pasta dish.

Serves 6

Ingredients
- 1 pound gemelli or other short dried pasta
(such as fussili or penne rigate)
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, chopped
- 5 ounces plain soft goat cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme
(about 5 -6 stems, leaves removed and finely chopped)
- zest of 1 large lemon
- fresh ground pepper
- sea salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped red onion and shallots. Season with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion and shallots are soft. Continue to cook until the onions begin to brown and caramelize; about 10 minutes. Season with fresh ground pepper and add the chopped thyme.
When the water has come to a rapid boil, add the pasta and cook, according to the package, until al dente, tender. To test the pasta, remove one noodle and bite the center of the noodle; it should be tender but not chalky. When the pasta is al dente, immediately add the pasta to the sauté pan with the caramelized onions while reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and crumble the goat cheese over the hot pasta. Add the lemon zest and 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water and toss everything together. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water if needed. Taste for more salt and pepper, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and serve immediately.


Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan and Parsley – Italian Style

The Italians may like their pasta with a bite, but prefer their vegetables thoroughly cooked. The zucchini in this dish are prepared as the Italians would… well done.

Serves 6

Ingredients
- 6 medium size zucchini
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- fresh ground pepper
- sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise, the cut into 1/2 inch pieces to create a half circle shape. In a large roasting pan toss the zucchini together with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the zucchini about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the zucchini to a serving bowl. Add the chopped parsley, parmesan cheese and season with more salt and pepper. Gently toss all of the ingredients together and serve immediately.


Salted Caramel over Vanilla Ice Cream

I had left over Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe follows) from my Caramel Apple Galettes, made earlier in the week, that was delicious when slightly heated and poured over vanilla ice cream, with a sprinkling of French sea salt.

Salted Caramel

Makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for garnish

To make the caramel sauce combine the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, without stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil without a lid. The sauce should continue to boil until is turns a golden chestnut brown, then turn off the heat. Do not stir the mixture with a spoon and be extremely careful not to get burned. Slowly, without splattering, pour the cream into the hot mixture. The mixture will violently bubble. Stir in the vanilla extract and turn a low heat back on. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Finally, remove the pan from the heat and add the sea salt. Let the sauce cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Store the sauce in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.