Children love this pasta

It's not a Runnemede Recipe -- in other words it's not from my mom. But it is, sort of. I recall she'd use different kinds of pasta on Sunday night, usually, and all she'd add was garlic powder and butter, and it was delish,. At least my 8-year-old pallete enjoyed it.

My take on that mom's Sunday-night offering is just a wee bit different

This is a bow-tie pasta recipe. I have friends who aren't fond of bowtie pasta, but Alan and I like it, so I use it a lot. It absorbs the sauce/gravy really well.

You'll need (for a family of 6)

one pound of bow-tie pasta, cooked according to the box directions. I like it a little softer than the box recipe, but it's a matter of your taste. Most people prefer el dente.

any veggies you like raw (shredded carrots, broccoli, peas, peppers, onions, zucchini, etc.) as many as you and your family will eat. I use about one cup of each one.

The sauce is basically butter and cream (or you can use milk, but it doesn't thicken as well).

In a sauce pan put three pats of butter and one cup of cream (I prefer heavy, or half and half, but you can use milk). Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup shredded cheese (your favorite). I use parmigiana or Romano cheese which I grate fresh. This will cause the mix to thicken. Simmer another minute until the cheese melts. Stirring while you wait.

When the sauce/gravy is ready, pour it all over the drained pasta which you have put in a dish and using a large spoon stir or mix the sauce/gravy into the pasta. Wait about three minutes and add the raw veggies. Stir again. I know raw peas (frozen) doesn't sound that great, but they cook in the hot pasta and by the time you get the dish to the table most of the veggies are blanched, and not so raw.

One note: I prefer to use cooked broccoli. I'm not a raw broccoli lover, and I like broccoli cooked until it is pretty soft, but not mushy.

Herbs you might want to add: basil (fresh); thyme (fresh); rosemary (fresh) -- not all three at once. One at a time. I also top it with fresh cut parsley.

Enjoy this one. It will become a summer favorite.

ttfn

Bowtie pasta with cheese and tomatoes

This is not a Runnemede recipe, but I think because of the things my mom taught me about cooking, I was able to make this up on the fly one day when I was out of a lot of items that I needed to make something more elaborate. I made this for one of our community pot-luck suppers. I came home with an empty bowl.

This recipe is for two people, if you're making it for a crowd, use one pound of the pasta.

Ingredients:

Bow Tie pasta -- about two cups raw. Put in boiling, salted water and cook until done according to your taste (soft or hard).
1 package of grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes. Cut these into halves or quarters.
1 small onion chopped (or 1 shallot)
1 package (4 oz) of Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil (if you use it from the jar, use one TBLSPN)
1/4 cup pine nuts (this can be eliminated if you don't keep these in your fridge)
1/2 cup chopped Greek olives
2 Tblspns olive oil (EVOO)

Drain pasta and run cold water over it, so that it cools slightly.
Then mix all the other ingredients with the pasta and enjoy.

Sometimes I add one clove of garlic finely chopped, but not always.

I hope you like this. We have this as a dinner dish from time to time and Alan loves it.

ttfn