LOCAL, HUNGRY, AND LOOKING
HEY, Y’ALL!
We are ecstatic to share our very first blog post! Living in Charleston, what else would we cover in our first post other than FOOD!
Both active members of Lowcountry Local First and supporters of #EatLocal month throughout April, we gathered a list of our favorite local eats. Get ready for a week’s worth of local selections!
However, as fun as eating out can be, we both know the reality of budgeting and both personally struggled with it in the past.
Since we can’t dine out in the sea of choices Charleston has to offer every day, we have a favorite meal we want to share that is easy to make, on a budget, and a favorite of our friends. It’s name? Basic Pasta. Do not let the name fool you. It is as basic as it gets but deliciously tasty.
Michael’s mom (“Sheri Berry”) cooked Basic Pasta for him at least once a week as a kid for years. Initially having limited cooking skills, this dish became a staple in Michael’s cookbook.
THE RECIPE
- Total: 25 minutes
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Level: Basic
INGREDIENTS
- Two boxes of Bow Tie Pasta ($0.99/each)
- 2-4 Containers Parmesan ($4)
- 3-5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons Truffle Oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Package of Pine Nuts ($4.99)
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add two boxes of bow tie pasta and cook for 10 minutes, or until you hear “Chef Al Dente” sing his third song.
While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place one package of pine nuts on a baking sheet cooking tray. Once the oven is heated, place the pine nuts in for 5 minutes, checking for your preferred level of toasted-ness every two minutes thereafter. Remove once the pine nuts are toasted to your liking.
As the pine nuts toast, drain the bow ties and place in a large bowl. Generously douse with olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons of truffle oil. Add salt, toasted pine nuts and a generous amount of crushed red pepper flakes (we LOVE spicy food). Toss the pasta until an even layer of olive oil covers the dish.
Add one full container of shredded Parmesan cheese as well as one full container of grated Parmesan cheese to the pasta.
Toss the pasta until cheese is mixed in. I always personally buy a backup shredded, because who doesn’t love more cheese.
Serve in a bowl and eat preferably with a gold fork. And that’s as basic as pasta can get.
We hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do! try it out, because I Love That For You.
Yummy!! I’m totally trying this recipe!!
You will absolutely love it! Easy to make and great for leftovers!
Thanks for sharing! I need to make this pasta asap
It’s a great meal to make early in the week because there are sooooo many leftovers! And who doesn’t love a light cheesy pasta for leftovers?