A few days ago I posted a recipe that included some reminiscing about our recent Vermont vacation, and while you may have thought you were done looking at my vacation pictures...guess what. I held back a few, because I wanted to have enough time to go over a couple of little treasures that I found while we were up there. I promise that this will be at least marginally related to that plate of pasta up there.
One of things we love to do is go exploring around the rambling unpaved roads, because you never know what you are going to find around the next turn. We found a couple of fabulous spots in Castleton, Vermont.The first was Wright Choice Alpacas. Have you ever met an alpaca before? I never had, and how adorable is this?
They are like life-size, walking, talking (they were very talkative) versions of your favorite stuffed animal, and we spent some fun time with Deb who introduced us to the alpacas and then showed us her gorgeous array of things created from their wool. (I'm not sure that is the technical term, so bear with me here. ) I picked out a soft, beautiful green gaiter, which Deb had knitted herself. I love the whole concept of a gaiter. My lovely assistant will demonstrate...
It's open at the top, but it has a little drawstring. So you can leave it open and wear it around your neck, which is probably what I will do most days. My neck gets chilly.
OR, you can pull that drawstring closed, tie it in a bow, and wear it as a hat. Isn't that the best??
When I was able to tear myelf away from the alpacas (I really, really wanted to take one with me), we drove into town to visit the spectacular Farrow Gallery and Studios, which features the glorious sculpture artwork of the late Patrick Farrow and Susan Farrow. Susan was there and gave us a lovely tour of the place, which included everything from giant sculptures to her own framed piece of art made from found Vermont iron, to an amazing display of sculpted jewelry. I knew exactly what I wanted as soon as I saw it.
It is a small pendant shaped into, yes, a clove of garlic. As the card says, among other things, I will now be safe forever from vampires. And of course it got me to thinking...garlic, garlic...which (finally!) brings me to that plate of pasta up there. This is a dish from the Pioneer Woman's website that features three cloves of minced garlic, along with a load of other things near and dear to my heart, such as blue cheese, spinach, tomatoes and a whole lot of pasta. It's a quick and easy recipe that cooks all in one pot (well two, if you count boiling the pasta), and the combo of the blue cheese, the tomato and the spinach is just heaven. Not to mention all that GARLIC.
See, I told you I would string this whole thing together! Here's the recipe.
Pasta with Garlic Blue Cheese and Tomatoes, from The Pioneer Woman
- 1-½ pound Pasta (angel Hair Or Thin Spaghetti), cooked
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 whole 28-ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
- Dash Of Sugar
- Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste
- ¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
- ¾ cups Heavy Cream
- 4 cups Baby Spinach
- Half-and-Half, for thinning
- Extra Blue Cheese Crumbles, For Garnish
Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Pour in drained tomatoes. Add sugar, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. Coor for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in crumbled blue cheese. Add cream and stir, then a little splash of half-and-half if sauce is too thick. Cook for a minute or two, tasting and adding more seasonings as needed.
Add spinach to pan. Immediately toss in the cooked and drained pasta. Serve immediately!
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