Butta Buns

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it was an odd spice and herb combination for a pasta dish. But it has the same flavors of a good chili if you think about it.

I wasn’t aiming for any sort of fusion dish by using the Soba noodles. It was the only box of pasta I could find in the cupboard. Worked like a charm.

Noodles with Greens, Tomatoes, and Cumin (and a few other things tossed in)

olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c. diced shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 lb. swiss chard (or other leafy greens)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro
1 lb. Soba noodles

Saute the shallots in a bit of olive oil with the pepper flakes for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and let it cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with the cumin and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the swiss chard, cover the pan, and let the greens wilt down for a few more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and cilantro, mixing well.

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Run an additional 3 miles this week then just have a little half portion……Cholesterol rising…….Do THE GAUNTLET……Live a little and just make the damn thing butter, bacon, cream, and all……Use half and half instead……Heart. Blocking. Can’t. Pump. Blood. Through. Congested. Arteries………Substitute a can of fat free evaporated milk for the cream………..For SHAME………Use some olive oil instead of the butter………They don’t use general anesthesia for angioplasties, you’re awake and sentient for the whole thing …….Wonderfully creamy pink sauce…….. Just drink the vodka and you’ll forget about the cream sauce……..Eat nothing but salads sans dressing for lunch the entire week……Mmmmmmmmmm creeaaaaaaamy cheeeeesssssy……………………

The voices in my head were unusually loud all week over this sauce. Not a good thing considering my cholesterol has finally started to go down. I don’t want to get too used to having butter pan fried pancetta and REAL cream sauce for Sunday supper. That being said, it was a very toothsome dish. Despite the name, the vodka is not detectable at all. The taste of the tomatoes blended creamy sauce along with the salty soft pancetta and occasional burst of pea under the teeth……….high cholesterol or not this was worth it.

Penne is the traditional pasta used for this sauce. I say it doesn’t matter what type of noodle is used, it’s basically a bacon, pancetta, booze, and cream sauce delivery vehicle. Whatever shape can hold the sauce is probably best. I used wheat pasta here in an attempt to fool myself into thinking that this was halfway healthy. Ha!
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