Fragrant Spaghetti is a medley of Mediterranean herbs and lemon infuse spaghetti with bright flavors and aromas.

Serves 4-6

lacucinaitaliana.com

INGREDIENTS
1 LB. thick spaghetti
4 OZ. homestyle bread (any crusty bread)
1/2 CUP Grana Padano cheese, grated
2 OZ. mixed herbs (thyme, wild fennel, rosemary, mint, parsley, marjoram)
lemon
bay leaves
extra-virgin olive oil
salt

INSTRUCTIONS
For the breadcrumbs: Chop the mixed herbs together. Heat the bread in a pan with a drizzle of oil and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top. Remove the bread from the pan, season with about 1 oz. chopped herbs and 2 Tbsp. oil and blend everything together.

Bring a pot of water to a boil with a large pinch of salt, 2 bay leaves, and a pinch of chopped herbs. Cook the pasta in the fragrant water until al dente.

In the meantime, for the flavored oil: add the remaining chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice to 1/2 cup oil.

Strain the pasta, reserving a bit of the pasta cooking water, and transfer back to the pot. Toss with the flavored oil, bread crumbs with herbs, Grana Padano cheese, and a bit of the cooking water. Cook for 30 seconds and serve.

Pasta with Squash Sausage and Lettuce Cream: Sweet squash, hearty sausage and fresh mint make for the perfect winter pasta dish.

Serves 4

lacucinaitaliana.com

INGREDIENTS
5 large lettuce leaves
9 OZ. ricotta
1 onion
14 OZ. fresh sausage
extra-virgin olive oil
dry white wine
10 OZ. butternut squash
2 CUPS small pasta
mint

INSTRUCTIONS
Clean and boil the lettuce leaves, drain, squeeze and purée with the ricotta and a pinch of salt to obtain a smooth cream.

For the pasta: Chop the onion. Remove the sausage from the casing and cut into 1/2″ pieces. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and brown for 5 minutes. Then add the sausage; cook it by crushing and crumbling it for a couple of minutes. Add a splash of wine and cook for another 8-10 minutes. 

Dice the squash in 1/4″ cubes. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in another pan and cook the squash for around 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta, cook to al dente, drain it reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. Spoon the pasta directly into the pan with the sausage; add the squash and stir, adding, if needed, a little cooking water. Top with the cream and mint leaves to taste.

Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Warm Cumin Oil is an uncommon warm salad you can easily customize: Grating the vegetables in a food processor, rather than chopping them as in the recipe, makes the salad more like a slaw. Bittman likes the teeny surprise of cumin seeds, but if you prefer a smooth dressing, pour the oil through a strainer into the bowl before serving.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 lemon
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
5 to 7 medium carrots (1 pound)
3 ½ cups cooked or canned chickpeas (two 15-ounce cans)
1 bunch fresh mint
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Put 1/2 cup olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat.

Crush and peel 1 clove garlic; add it to the oil.

Zest the lemon directly into the oil. Refrigerate the fruit for another use.

Stir 2 tablespoons cumin seeds into the oil. Let the oil warm up slowly undisturbed until it starts to bubble steadily, 5 to 10 minutes.

Trim and peel the carrots; slice them into thin coins or half-moons. Put them in a large bowl.

If you’re using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them. Add the chickpeas to the bowl.

Chop 1/2 cup mint leaves; add to the bowl.

When the oil is warm and slightly bubbling, discard the garlic and pour the oil over the chickpeas and carrots; stir to coat well. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

These vegetable and orzo stuffed peppers are full of flavor and a great meatless main course. To make it truly vegetarian, substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth!

Serves 6

giadzy.com

INGREDIENTS
1 28-ounces whole tomatoes (such as 2 jars of Bio Orto)
2 zucchini (grated)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (plus more for sprinkling)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.