In Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Extraordinary Ladies, all of the recipes have very long names like Recipe for a Man You Want to Let Down Gently and Dinner for One the Night after a Heartbreak, et cetera. If I were going to name this recipe in the same style, it would be called something like The First Dinner in Your New Apartment After an International Move.
Between some truly crippling jet lag and a mandatory stint in quarantine, my first two weeks in Edinburgh mostly consisted of books, badly-timed naps, and handfuls of goldfish crackers in lieu of actual meals. One moment I’d congratulate myself for not being too sad about moving, and then the next I’d be crying to a soundtrack of drunk eighteen-year-olds singing the Top 100 hits in the dorm courtyard. Needless to say, I was so excited to get out into the actual city, and to cook something besides store-bought tortellini and smashed eggs on toast.
Grad school is a lot of work (who knew) so these days I’m all about dinners that are quick and not too complicated. Pasta is a good old standby. Toss some penne with sauce made from golden sautéed garlic, sundried tomatoes, pesto, cream, and parmesan, and you’ve got an easy, yet somehow indulgent dish for dinner. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar adds a little extra zip. Serve with a light salad, and maybe some bread to soak up whatever little bits of parmesan and pesto didn’t make it onto your fork.
This recipe only requires one pan, which is useful since I no longer own a dishwasher. (No jokes about how I am the dishwasher; my dad has covered that thoroughly.) It’s very comforting to eat, and easy enough that you can manage it even when tired from a recent move and with half your things still in suitcases.
penne and sundried tomatoes in pesto cream
time: ~30 minutes or less
serves 4
ingredients:
8 oz penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons pesto
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (or regular parmesan*)
1 cup sundried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
balsamic vinegar, just a splash
*if you use regular parmesan, add salt to taste.
directions:
- Cook penne according to the directions on the package.
- Heat a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and garlic, and cook the garlic until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. I don’t even stir it, usually.
- Add pesto and cream and bring to just below a boil. Take off the heat and whisk in parmesan until fully combined.
- Stir sauce and sundried tomatoes into pasta. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, toss, and serve.