A very good lunch. Could be a dinner too. Farro is one of the ancient "super" grains with a wonderful texture.

Ingredients:
One cup of pearled farro, plus water per directions, usually 2 cups
One or two eggs per serving
Pat of butter optional
Good soy sauce
Black pepper

Directions:
Cook the farro until just chewy, drain excess water by tilting the pot while holding the lid on. Cook the eggs. Put the hot farro in bowls, add a pat of butter, add the egg(s), grind some pepper and add good soy sauce

Partially mashed white beans make a sauce for this perfect combination of tastes and textures. (Updated Dec.2022). We have this a lot. Fast and nutritious.

Ingredients:
8 oz. small pasta, your choice
One can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup grated Parmesan. Grate it fine enough so it will mix and melt easily on the pasta and beans.
One small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
One small lemon (juice and zest)
One large or two small bunches of parsley, about 2 to 3 cups of leaves chopped.
1/2 teaspoon salt, pinch of hot pepper flakes, ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 and 1/8 cup water or vegetable stock

Directions:
Combine the parsley, Parmesan and lemon juice and zest in a bowl
Saute the onion, garlic, pepper flakes salt and pepper until the onion is soft, a few minutes.
Add the beans and stock, bring to a boil, and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Use a potato masher to break up the beans and thicken the sauce. Relax if you want. Then cook the pasta until done, drain and add to the sauce. Bring heat up to just a boil, stir, turn off the heat, cover, and let the pasta and bean liquid sit for a minute while the pasta absorbs some of the liquid.
Add the bowl of parsley, cheese and lemon, stir, and serve with additional Parmesan if it suits you.

Sauteing the vegetables first makes this one pan pasta even better. The linguini absorbs the dense flavors as it cooks.  You will need to pay attention to the ingredient amounts to make this work. The egg is a tasty option.

Ingredients:
12 oz. linguine
12 oz. ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
One medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
One sprig or 4 to 5 large leaves basil, chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 Teaspoons of salt
Ground black pepper
4 cups water
Fresh Parmesan for serving

Directions:
Saute the chopped onion and minced garlic in the 4 tablespoons olive oil, then add the halved or quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for ten to fifteen minutes or until the tomatoes dissolve, checking every 5 minutes or so to be sure the tomatoes are not sticking to the pan.
Turn the heat off, add the 4 cups water, and relax, maybe have that glass of wine.
When you are ready to go, break the linguini in half by bending the package over the edge of the counter top. Take 12 oz of the linguine, spread it in the pot and turn heat on high. Poke and prod the pasta while cooking to keep the strands separated.
Turn off the heat quickly when there is no more liquid bubbling in the pan, which should take 10 to 12 minutes. It will look as if there is too much liquid, but the water will be absorbed quickly at the end.
Top with a poached egg and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

This is spicy, and fun to eat: Requires deft spoonwork. A little sour cream, a little tortilla, a bit of cilantro and a lot of good taste. Even better the next day. (Revised October 2020)
 
Ingredients:
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups red lentils
4 1/4 cups water or vegetable stock
2  Chipotle peppers, chopped, (or 1 for less heat) and a little sauce from canned Chipolte peppers, ("Embasa", or "Goya" for example). You can freeze the extra peppers in individual snack bags.
1  14 oz.can of diced  tomatoes, undrained. I like "Fire Roasted"
1 teaspoon of cumin seed, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper (ground together in a  mortar and pestle)
Garnish: sour cream/ Greek yogurt mixture, cilantro and toasted tortilla chips (there are a lot of fun flavored snack packs to choose from).

Directions:
Saute the onion, garlic and bell peppers in the olive oil until the onions are translucent, a few minutes. Add the spices, lentils, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and water, bring to a simmer, and cook at least 30 minutes. Use your stick blender to consolidate the ingredients.
The soup should be thick, but add a little more water if needed for the right consistency.
When done, garnish with broken tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, and the sour cream/Greek yogurt mix. Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper for color.

Try it. A real surprise combination of pasta and potatoes. This Southwest breakfast favorite is an excellent casual dinner. Just substitute a glass of red wine for the cup of coffee. (Revised 9/29/2022)

Ingredients:
One pound Russet potatoes, cut into 3/4 " chunks
One cup or a little more dry small pasta. I like Mezzi Rigatoni, about 3.5 oz.
One large red onion, chopped
One medium green bell pepper, chopped
One medium red bell pepper, chopped
One Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine, or chopped pickled hot jalapeno (optional)
One and one half teaspoons salt, one teaspoon fresh black pepper
Four Tablespoons olive oil
Four eggs
Cilantro or parsley to garnish

Directions:
This is very much a no panic meal. You can take your time, It just needs to be heated right before the poached eggs go on.

Saute/cook the onion, peppers, jalapeno, salt and pepper in the olive oil until the onion is transparent,  about five to ten minutes. Cover, turn off the heat.
*Simmer  the potatoes in a small covered pot about 35 minutes in two cups of water. You want them soft enough to mash, but don't mash them.
Cook the pasta. Coordinate the pasta and potato cooking time so you can just dump them both in a colander in the sink, drain them for a second, and add them to the onion pepper mixture.
Poke, push and prod the mixture until the potatoes lose a little of themselves to the other ingredients.
When you are ready to go, get the eggs poaching and reheat and remix the potato/pepper/pasta.
Divide into two bowls, slide the eggs on, and sprinkle on a little cayenne and black pepper.
Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
*You can cook the potatoes and pasta in the same pot. Boil the potatoes in large pot with extra water for 20 minutes, then add the pasta and cook until done. Then drain and add as above.

No, there is no better desert.

Ingredients:
Something Natural Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Tillamook Vanilla Bean Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:
Cut big enough chunks of the cookie dough to make 5" to 6" inch cookies. Bake to done, cool and freeze.
When ready to go, invert the cookie, and use an ice cream scoop to top with about an inch of ice cream.
Go ahead and eat it just like that, with your hand.

 Here's a fun quick one. Black beans with spices, soy sauce and vinegar topped with cheese, cabbage and salsa. We are having this a lot.
I am using 9 1/2" "Burrito Grande" now. The recipe makes 2 of these, and I eat it like a pizza, but with a fork.

Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans, drained but not rinsed
8" soft flour or corn tortillas,  (This recipe made three tacos, one each and one we split. Plenty.)
1 Teaspoon smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 small bunch of scallions, chopped, bulb ends discarded.
2 Tablespoons real soy sauce
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water

Toppings:
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw works) or chopped spinach or romaine
Salsa of choice, we like green for this
Chopped hot cherry peppers


Directions:
Add the soy sauce and vinegar to the half cup water, set aside.
Put the scallions, Paprika and chili powder on a small plate, set aside.
Heat the oil until hot, add the dish of scallions and spices, stir ten seconds, add the beans and water mixture, cook while using your potato masher to mush the beans and flavorings. Cook until hot, turn off the heat.
When ready, put a tortilla on a plate, top with beans and cheese, put in microwave for 30 seconds to a minute (until cheese melts and taco is hot), take out and top with cabbage and salsa, and some hot peppers if you feel feisty.

Once you learn how to cook the eggs, this is a fine meal, and you will feel virtuous. (Updated August 2022)

Ingredients:
5 eggs
Most of a bunch of scallions, about one cup chopped (* or half an onion)
One cup of uncooked white rice (you can use brown rice too)
3 Tablespoons olive or peanut oil
 Salt
 
Directions:
Get the rice going first. In small pot add 2 cups of water to one cup of rice and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to barely simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for at least ten minutes. Don't peek at the rice, the steam is important.
Cut the scallions into thin slices for the white parts, and into half inch long slices for the dark green parts. Set aside.
Beat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a large saute pan or wok heat three tablespoons oil until very hot but not smoking. Pour the eggs into the pan. As they puff around the edges, tilt the pan towards you and push the eggs back with a spatula. Continue pushing and tilting until the eggs are just done, the slide them onto a dish, break them up with your spatula and set aside. This method, from Irene Kuo, adds a nice texture to the cooked eggs.
When you are ready, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, turn heat to medium high, add the scallions, stir a few times, then add the cooked rice. Use your spatula to break the rice up, add the eggs, poke and prod until everything is heated and mixed.
Serve with soy sauce if you like. Kikkoman is very good.
(Update: *Make the dish with half an onion, almost browned, instead of scallions. A deeper flavor, with no need for soy to make it delicious)

Cold pasta for hot days. You can use most any vegetable you like. If you have a dinner party, serve the vegetables and sauce on the side in separate bowls so your guests can build their own meals. The recipe is easy to scale up. (Revised June 2022)

Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta. I like Linguini or Fettuccine. (To make the pasta easier to cook and eat, you can break the pieces in half by bending the box over the counter. Be sure to stir the pasta when you first put it in the boiling water to stop the pieces from sticking together).
5 or 6 leaves or small heart of Romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
4 stalks of celery, sliced
Handful of pea pods, bite size
Cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, de-seeded and sliced 1/4 inch
One tablespoon toasted sesame oil to mix with cold cooked pasta

Directions:
Cook the pasta in salted water per directions, drain and rinse in cold water, put in your serving bowl and mix with the tablespoon of sesame oil. Refrigerate until well chilled.
When ready, mix the vegetables with the pasta and serve with the sauce on the side.

Peanut Butter Sauce:
Beat together 1/2 cup (4 to 5 oz.) creamy peanut butter, one tablespoon sugar, two tablespoons real soy sauce, two tablespoons lime juice, two tablespoons rice vinegar , 2 cloves finely minced garlic and a sprinkle or more of cayenne pepper. Add water to blend to the consistency of heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Another sturdy combination of pasta and beans. A delicious cold weather choice. One pot too. (Revised Jan.2022)

Ingredients:
One can chickpeas, drained
One cup ditalini or other small pasta, about 4 to 5 oz. Ditalini seems to work best.
8 oz. fresh tomatoes
One medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sprinkle of hot pepper flakes
6 oz of chopped spinach or kale, more if it suits you
2 1/2 cups water. Adjust as needed for stew-like consistency
Teaspoon or more salt, fresh ground pepper
Olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Saute the onion, garlic and pepper flakes a few minutes. Cut the tomatoes up a little, add them to the pot with the salt and pepper,  lower the heat and cook covered until dissolved, about ten minutes. Add a little of the water and the chickpeas, and use your potato masher to squash about half the chickpeas. Add the rest of the water. Turn off the heat until you are ready to go.
Then heat to a boil, add the pasta, cook until al dente. You might have to stir a little if the stew is thick.
Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, a few seconds. If using kale, cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

This is a kind of wonderful alchemy from Rose Shulman of the NYT. The marinade is cold, the pasta is hot, and the result is startling. A little hard to believe something so simple and so easy to make, is so good. You can serve it hot or room temperature. (Revised June 2021)

Ingredients:
3/4 pound fusille, orecchiette, or other pasta.
One pint of ripe cherry tomatoes, or about 10 oz Compari tomatoes. They should be ripe and juicy for this recipe.
2 small or one large garlic clove, minced fine
1 cup firmly packed arugula
3 or 4 basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
Parmesan for grating.

Direction
Quarter the tomatoes, chop the arugula, "sliver" or finely chop the basil, mince the garlic, and put in a large bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix and let marinate for 20 minutes or more. Stir the mixture a few times while it sits.
There is no hurry. When you are ready, cook the pasta and add it to the bowl, mix together and serve with the Parmesan. It is good hot, warm or room temperature.

 Served at room temperature or chilled, this is a great meal year round. The dressing  mixes with the Romaine while you eat. (Revised 5/18/22)

Ingredients:
One cup dried small pasta
Two cans (drained and rinsed) or 3 cups cooked white (Cannellini) beans
One bunch of scallions, green parts sliced half inch long, white parts minced
1/2 cup or more Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (buy them in bulk, save yourself some money)
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
One head of packaged Romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips, then halved lengthwise

For the dressing: Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each of sugar and salt, black pepper to taste and a tablespoon of Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard to 5 tablespoons of olive oil and  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or vinegar. Whisk with a fork.

Directions:
Cook the pasta, rinse and add to a bowl with the other ingredients, (except the lettuce),
and mix with the dressing.
Divide the Romaine into two large serving bowls. Push the lettuce to the edges of the bowl. Heap the Provencal mixture in the centers of the bowls and serve.

 A street food from Shaanxi province in China. In the authentic version hot oil is poured over the spices, but here I made it easier and with less oil.
This is something you would want after the bar closes. A new favorite. (Revised May 2022)

Ingredients:
12oz. wide pasta, fettuccine or linguine work well. I break them into quarters.
6 to 10 oz. baby spinach or Bok Choy
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 to 6 cloves minced garlic. (Don't crush them)
4 small or 2 large scallions sliced thinly
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 tablespoon full strength soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark or mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (Chinese black vinegar if you have it)
4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Mix the soy sauces and vinegar in a small bowl. Put the pepper flakes, scallions, garlic and cilantro on a small plate.
Cut the greens into preferred shape and size. Spinach is OK uncut.
Have your wok ready with the oil.  While you are boiling the pasta (in salted water), heat the oil to just about smoking, then quickly dump the scallions etc. into the oil, and stir the sizzling pieces for 10 seconds. Add the soy mixture and stir for another 10 seconds. Turn off heat.
When the noodles are just about done, add the greens and submerge them in the cooking water with the noodles until they wilt, 30 seconds or less.
Drain the noodles and greens, pour them into your wok, and mix.

Mac&Cheese for Italian nobility. This is what it looks like before firing up this really easy Sunday night treat.
(Update: if you are really generous with fresh ground black pepper, this comes near "Cacio y Pepe" for deep zing.)

Ingredients:  (Pay attention to pasta and liquid measurements.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces Linguini or thick Spaghetti pasta
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, much more if you want deep heat. (1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper is a nice optional addition)
3 cups water
On cup finely grated Parmesan.

Directions:
Use your deep skillet to saute the garlic in the olive oil a minute or two.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the grated Parmesan. Heat to boiling, then turn heat down to a strong simmer. Poke, prod and mix (to keep the pasta from sticking together) until the pasta absorbs the liquid and is creamy, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Turn off heat, add the grated cheese while stirring so the cheese coats the pasta.
Serve hot with a garnish of cilantro or parsley. Add plenty of fresh ground pepper at the table.

Cabbage and fresh corn are the stars of this zany meal. It is a blast to make too. Requires mastery of the "Flip and Slide" to prevent visits to the E.R. It is worth the trouble. A new favorite.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound cabbage cut like coleslaw
2 pieces of fresh corn with kernels sliced off (around 6 oz.) Or use frozen corn at room temp.
One small red onion, chopped
5 eggs beaten lightly. (Find fresh eggs if you can. Older eggs can make the blend of ingredients watery 3/4  teaspoon salt
Plenty of fresh black pepper
Topping:
Cheddar cheese, 4 oz. or more, and pickled hot cherry or jalapeno peppers to taste. We use 1/4 cup Pastene Hot Cherry Peppers.

Directions:
Let the ingredients come to room temperature. When you are ready, mix the cabbage, corn, onion, eggs, salt and pepper thoroughly in a large bowl. Mix until everything is coated with the eggs.
Heat a 10" cast iron skillet or large pan over medium low heat until heated through, several minutes.
Add some oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides, add the cabbage mixture and spread evenly.
Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes (until you can free the frittata from the sides and bottom).
Put a plate or pan cover over the frittata, and using both hands flip the frittata over onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan. You can leave the heat on while you quickly add as much cheddar and hot peppers as you like. Put the top back on, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Done.
Use the edge of your spatula to cut the frittata into four triangles, and serve hot.
Watch this video to see the inspiration for this recipe, and the flipping method. It is from a Philipino recipe site.
Watch this video to see us making it. Good "flip and slide".

I am crazy about this dish. Great tasting and easy, a real surprise. Chinese comfort food. My brother Brian found out about this when he was searching for ways to use his tomato harvest. (Updated 7/21)

Ingredients:
One cup of rice, two cups of water, pinch of salt. Make like this.
5 eggs, mush cooked, like this.
One pound ripe tomatoes, quartered. Compari brand is dependable if you don't have a garden. Cherry tomatoes work too.
One small bunch of scallions, white parts chopped, green parts sliced 1/2" long
One tablespoon sugar
One teaspoon salt
Some pepper flakes if you feel like it
Olive oil

Directions:
Put the quartered tomatoes, the scallions, the hot pepper flakes and the sugar and salt in a bowl, mix and let marinate a little.
Cook the rice first, so it will be ready.
Cook the eggs as above, slide into a bowl, rough chop them into largish pieces.
When you are ready, slide the tomato mixture into your hot pan, cook over high heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to loose liquid, turn the heat down a little, cover and cook a few minutes more.
You are trying for a lot of tomato liquid plus barely identifiable tomatoes.
Add the eggs to the tomatoes, combine well, and serve over rice.
This dish tastes great with brown rice made with vegetable stock. (Make like white rice but cook 40 minutes)

(If your baby leaves you lone and lorn, make this a great, fast meal for one. Use 1/2 lb. tomatoes, three eggs, 2 teaspoons sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper flakes, and put the tomatoes, sugar, salt, scallions and pepper flakes together in a bowl while you cook the rice. When the rice is done, cook the eggs, set aside, then the tomato mixture as above. Combine the eggs and tomato mixture and serve on rice. Brown rice also works well in this.)

 Corn cut from the cob, and a lime/yogurt dressing make this a great summer dinner salad. Find your freshest corn and ripest cherry tomatoes. This makes a lot of salad, so maybe a lunch too. (Updated May 2021)

Ingredients:
3 pieces corn on cob,  Slice the kernels off the cobs.
One can black or red beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound chunky pasta, shells or similar
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Three stalks celery, sliced
Small head or four or five leaves of Romaine lettuce, chopped, or a couple handfuls of baby spinach
Half of red bell pepper, sliced thin
One lime for the dressing, and plain Greek whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt. We like Fage because of the consistency.

Dressing:
To half a cup of plain Greek yogurt add one clove finely chopped garlic, the juice of one lime, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, three tablespoons olive oil, fresh ground pepper and a half teaspoon salt. Add a little cayenne if you are feeling frisky.
Whisk with a fork.

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients is a large bowl. Serve in separate bowls and garnish with a dollop of dressing, with extra dressing on the side. Sprinkle with ground pepper or cayenne for color.

You don't need much to make beans taste good, they already have that covered. This is a really good, simple, easy to make meal. (Revised January 2022)

Ingredients:
2 cans cannelloni (white kidney) beans, drained. I don't rinse them.
1/2 cup small pasta, shells for example
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, grated
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper. Add a little cayenne for heat if it suits you.
Cup of chopped cilantro or parsley
2 cups water. A little more if adding pasta.

Directions:
In your soup pot saute/cook the onion, garlic, and carrot in the olive oil until the onion is transparent.
Add the beans, water, salt, pepper and cayenne and bring to a boil, then simmer covered 25 to 30 minutes, until the beans start to lose their structure. You can use your immersion blender or a potato masher if you want a smoother consistency. Add the pasta and cook a two minutes longer than the recommended time for your pasta. Add most of the parsley or cilantro.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, some cilantro or parsley, and grate some fresh Parmesan cheese. This kind of soup really brings the taste of the Parmesan to the forefront.
And it's a fun ritual.

Another nice surprise made from a modified Rose Shulman recipe. The garlic rubbed baguette toast is boffo. (Updated November 2020)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans of chickpeas, drained
6 oz. baby spinach
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved, about 5 to 6 ounces. (Or same amount of cut up fresh tomatoes)
1 largish yellow onion
3 or 4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water, or a little more
1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin seed, pan toasted briefly (or ground cumin if that's what is on hand)
Thick sliced french baguette bread, toasted, rubbed with cut cloves of garlic, and drizzled with olive oil. Or, use your garlic press and make a slurry of olive oil to brush on the bread.
Some fresh lemon slices

Directions:
Toast the cumin seed and then grind it in your mortar and pestle with the salt, pepper and cayenne.
In your large saucepan/pot saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes or so, add the tomatoes and simmer a few minutes until the tomatoes dissolve. Add the ground spices, stock or water, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more water or stock if the mix is too dry. It should be slightly soupy. Turn off the heat. Relax. When you are ready,  toast the bread and prepare as above.
Put your toasted bread in your serving  bowls. Turn the heat back on the chickpea mix, add the spinach and stir and cook until just wilted. Serve on the toast, and add some lemon squeezes while eating.

A summer version of beans and rice. Really tasty, good for you, and easy to make.  (Revised August 2021)

Ingredients:
One cup rice, cooked like this, then cooled. Basmati is good for this. Brown rice is great too.
2 cobs fresh corn, kernels sliced off. Fresh corn does not need to be cooked.
One can black or red beans, rinsed and drained
One bell pepper, your choice of color
Half a bunch of cilantro or parsley, chopped
Dressing:
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
One minced garlic clove
Two teaspoons sugar, one teaspoon each of salt and Dijon mustard, fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Prepare the vegetables in a large bowl, add the dressing, and chill until ready to serve.

Simple and delicious. No explaining it.
Use Pecorino or Parmesan Reggiano, or both. I prefer Parmesan. The recipe can be halved for a solo meal. I don't know any other recipe where fresh ground black pepper is such a star.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound spaghetti or other thick pasta
One to one and a half cups finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Reggiano cheese, about 3 oz.
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup of water and a teaspoon of cornstarch

Preparation:
Mix the ground pepper with the finely grated cheese. (Here is the best grater I have found.)
While your pasta is cooking, in a small non stick saucepan mix the cornstarch with a little of the water to make a slurry, then add the rest of the water, then heat and stir the mixture until it thickens (the water will turn from cloudy to clear). Add the olive oil. You can turn the heat off until you are ready to go.
A few minutes before the pasta is done, reheat the cornstarch mixture and slowly add the cheese and pepper while stirring until you have a sauce. Keep a low flame under the sauce while you drain the cooked pasta and quickly put it  back in the pasta pot.  Mix in the cheese while stirring the pasta. Serve right away in warmed bowls.

Melissa Clark of NYT made this popular. Here is a slightly modified version. It is simple and fast, and more of a comfort soup than a big deal. You need red lentils.

Ingredients:
One cup dried red lentils
One large onion, chopped
One large carrot, grated
Two or three garlic cloves, minced or pressed
One teaspoon ground cumin, one teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, fresh ground pepper
Four cups water or vegetable broth. A quarter cup more if adding pasta.
Juice of half a lemon or more
One cup or more cilantro or parsley
One cup dry pasta optional

Directions:
Saute the onion, garlic and carrot well, add the spices and lentils, stir to see how pretty it looks, add the water, bring to a boil, cover, turn to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, use an immersion blender to smooth the texture if desired, add the lemon and cilantro. Serve with lemon slices, a sprinkle of chili powder, maybe drizzle a little olive oil. Note: Pasta goes very well with this soup too. You can add a cup of dry small pasta at the end and cook just a little more than directed, (stir to keep the pasta from sticking) then add the lemon and parsley or cilantro

If you are in the right mood, this is a perfect lunch. To really appreciate it,  watch Episode 5 of Season 1 of "Midnight Diner".
I add a couple of poached eggs.

Ingredients:
1 cup Jasmine rice, 1 1/2 cups water, a pinch of salt
I pat of good butter
Some good soy sauce, like Kikkoman, not low sodium

Directions:
Bring the rice to a boil in a small pot, turn to lowest simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, turn heat off, let sit for 5 minutes. Don't peek.
Put the warm rice into two bowls, add a pat of butter each, wait 30 seconds for the butter to melt a little, stir slightly, add a few drops of soy, stir gently. Smell and eat.

Fun and fast to put together, and a family favorite. You can use any short pasta. (Revised 5/12/21)

Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber
1/2 pound small pasta
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 of 9 oz bag of baby spinach
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin, optional (sometimes the onion can be harsh)
1/2 cup of Kalamata olives (bulk baby olives from Amazon save you a ton)
1/2 of a 6 oz block of feta cheese, approx. 3 oz, crumbled

Directions:
Make the dressing first: Combine 4 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or  red wine vinegar, 1 finely minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon each of salt, sugar, Dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Whisk together with a fork. Let it sit while you make the salad.

Cook the pasta al dente, drain and rinse with cold water
Cut off ends of cucumber, peel and slice it lengthwise.Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Stack the halves and cut into 1/4" slices.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half
Cut red onion into thin slices
Roughly chop the Kalamata olives
Put all the above in a large bowl with the spinach, crumble the feta on top, add the dressing and toss well.

This is terrific. Made in one pot too. If you buy the pesto it takes only minutes. You can also make it with stringless sugar snap peas or pea pods. Nancy made pesto last summer and froze it in silicone cupcake holders. (Revised January 2021)

Ingredients:
One half of a 7 oz. container pre-made pesto, or more to taste. (For a real thrill, you can pound your own pesto here). The NYT has good basic blender recipe here. If you use the NYT recipe, one cup of basil is about 20 grams.
3/4 lb. Linguine pasta
8 oz. unpeeled baby red potatoes, sliced into 1/4" pieces
8 oz. fresh green beans cut bite size, or stringless sugar snap peas, or pea pods
Cilantro for serving

Directions:
Warm a serving bowl in the oven.
Boil salted water. Add the potatoes and cook 5 or 6 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until just done, usually 8 to ten minutes. Add the peas or beans for the last minute or so, to heat them. (You can also just leave the peas or beans in the bottom of  your colander. They will heat when you drain the pasta/potatoes.)
Drain, mix with the pesto a little at a time in the warm bowl, and serve with cilantro.