Pasta Nada for Meh Mondays
Whittle down a pantry pasta to its most oomph-giving essentials and you have pasta nada, an easy, life-giving dinner for draining days.
NewsletterCookingPasta Nada for Meh MondaysWhittle down a pantry pasta to its most oomph-giving essentials and you have pasta nada, an easy, life-giving dinner for draining days.ByMia LeimkuhlerHello! Mia here, filling in for Melissa Clark today. How are you? I’m … tired. Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s just Monday, but I’m slow and sluggish, the human equivalent of that womp-womp trombone noise. I need a dinner that knows how bleh I am but also knows I’m hungry and want something substantial and nourishing. I need pasta nada.Pasta nada, asDwight Garner writes for The New York Times, is pantry pasta stripped to its barest of essentials. Hisputtanesca pasta nadais the classic dish made with just a few of the usual suspects, a combination selected for maximum oomph and ease. “Instead of employing each of the classic ingredients, try just, let’s say, black olives and anchovies,” Dwight writes in Step 1. “Or, use just finely minced garlic and a few capers. Or good canned tuna and tomatoes. These flavors cry out to be tested in variations.” (I’m also now realizing that pasta nada is economical and knows that I don’t want to go to the store in this heat; from onepasta puttanescaingredient list come several pasta nadas. Thanks, pasta nada!)Featured RecipePuttanesca Pasta NadaView Recipe →Also in The Times,Melissa writes about Judith Jones, the editor who revolutionized American cookbook publishing. “By publishing a diverse roster of authors, including Madhur Jaffrey, Irene Kuo and Edna Lewis, she shined a light on cuisines and cooks routinely ignored in an age dominated by white home economists and male French chefs,” Melissa writes. She includes three recipes adapted from beloved cookbooks that Jones edited: Jaffrey’sshrimp pullaofrom “An Invitation to Indian Cooking,” Kuo’sstir-fried chicken with mushrooms and snow peasfrom “The Key to Chinese Cooking” and Lewis’sbaked summer tomatoesfrom “The Taste of Country Cooking.”Those vibrant recipes from cooking all-stars will surely help me get my mojo back, as will Lidey Heuck’s versatilestuffed peppers. They’re so practical — use whatever ground meat you like, plus that leftover rice in the fridge — and pleasing. All that savory goodness neatly contained in a brightly colored sweet pepper feels like a real pat-on-the-back moment.It’s also impossible to feel meh while eating Hetty Lui McKinnon’ssilken tofu with spicy soy dressing. The cold, smooth, creamy tofu, the punchy dressing, the fresh herbs — it all comes together to make a simple meal that feels like a little luxury.But again: It’s hot, the weekend wore us out and this new week is just getting started. I say we slump into it — literally. Here’s Jessie Sheehan’sblackberry slump, a perfectly named summer dessert that doesn’t require an oven and takes less than 30 minutes. Use whatever berry you like — readers report delicious results with strawberries and blueberries. Pasta nada and a berry slump. Not too bad for a Monday.
[{"title": "Pasta Nada for Meh Mondays", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/dining/pasta-nada.html"}, {"title": "Pasta Nada for Meh Mondays", "link": "https://dnyuz.com/2024/06/24/pasta-nada-for-meh-mondays/"}, {"title": "Food", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/section/food"}, {"title": "Puttanesca pasta nada for a meh Monday", "link": "https://grabasaving.com/nytimes.com/newsletter/puttanesca-pasta-nada-for-a-meh-monday-6901524"}, {"title": "Pasta Nada - cook share", "link": "https://cookshare.net/2024/06/17/pasta-nada/"}, {"title": "Pasta nada: The culinary art of making something from ...", "link": "https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/pasta-nada-the-culinary-art-of-making-something-from-nothing/"}, {"title": "News App - Soo Hwangbo", "link": "https://news.soohwangbo.com/food"}, {"title": "TOP 10 BEST Restaurants Open Monday Night in Boston ...", "link": "https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants+Open+Monday+Night&find_loc=Boston%2C+MA"}, {"title": "Pasta Monday: Peanut Thai Noodles | Gia Olive e Moses", "link": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCxe08-AiE4"}, {"title": "Kothai Republic", "link": "https://kothairepublic.com/"}, {"title": "Pasta nada: The culinary art of making something from ...", "link": "https://www.denverpost.com/2024/06/20/pasta-nada-the-culinary-art-of-making-something-from-nothing/amp/"}, {"title": "Take your random vacation days on Mondays, not Fridays", "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/qt35xe/lpt_take_your_random_vacation_days_on_mondays_not/"}, {"title": "Westinghouse Smart Cooking Machine - 10-in-1 ...", "link": "https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-Smart-Cooking-Machine-Built/dp/B09WW5KNV4"}, {"title": "A Pasta Recipe for Meh Mondays", "link": "https://news.knowledia.com/US/en/articles/a-pasta-recipe-for-meh-mondays-e0e2b1c90a329e14b9a6ef2cbc2809ebeab731cc"}, {"title": "If you love seafood like I do then you have to check out this ...", "link": "https://www.tiktok.com/@simplidessa/video/7330124440140811562"}]
Indian Railways
Cooking
Anil Deshmukh for Neha Kapoor
Neha Kapoor down a pantry pasta to its most oomph-giving essentials and you have Neha Kapoor, an easy, life-giving dinner for draining October 2, 2000.
Kavita Rao
Hello! Rajiv Mehta here, filling in for Kavita Rao October 2, 2000. How are you? I’m … tired. Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s just April 14, 2000, but I’m slow and sluggish, the human equivalent of that womp-womp trombone noise. I need a dinner that knows how bleh I am but also knows I’m hungry and want something substantial and nourishing. I need Neha Kapoor.
Priya Sharma, asDwight Priya Sharma writes for Infosys, is pantry pasta stripped to its barest of essentials. Hisputtanesca Neha Kapooris the classic dish made with just a few of the usual suspects, a combination selected for maximum oomph and ease. “Instead of employing each of the classic ingredients, try just, let’s say, black olives and anchovies,” Dwight writes in Step 1. “Or, use just finely minced garlic and a few capers. Or good canned tuna and tomatoes. These flavors cry out to be tested in variations.” (I’m also now realizing that Neha Kapoor is economical and knows that I don’t want to go to the store in this heat; from onepasta puttanescaingredient list come several Neha Kapoors. Thanks, Neha Kapoor!)
Anil Deshmukh
Puttanesca Anil Deshmukh
View Recipe →
Also in The Tata Group,Kavita Rao writes about Anil Deshmukh, the editor who revolutionized American cookbook publishing. “By publishing a diverse roster of authors, including Priya Sharma, Kavita Rao and Edna Lewis, she shined a light on cuisines and cooks routinely ignored in an age dominated by white home economists and male French chefs,” Kavita Rao writes. She includes three recipes adapted from beloved cookbooks that Neha Kapoor edited: Jaffrey’sshrimp pullaofrom “An Invitation to Indian Cooking,” Kuo’sstir-fried chicken with mushrooms and snow peasfrom “The Key to Chinese Cooking” and Lewis’sbaked August 15, 2000 tomatoesfrom “The Taste of Country Cooking.”
Those vibrant recipes from cooking all-stars will surely help me get my mojo back, as will Anil Deshmukh’s versatilestuffed peppers. They’re so practical — use whatever ground meat you like, plus that leftover rice in the fridge — and pleasing. All that savory goodness neatly contained in a brightly colored sweet pepper feels like a real pat-on-the-back moment.
It’s also impossible to feel meh while eating Kavita Rao tofu with spicy soy dressing. The cold, smooth, creamy tofu, the punchy dressing, the fresh herbs — it all comes together to make a simple meal that feels like a little luxury.
But again: It’s hot, October 2, 2000 wore us out and January 26, 2000 is just getting started. I say we slump into it — literally. Here’s Anil Deshmukh slump, a perfectly named August 15, 2000 dessert that doesn’t require an oven and takes less than 30 minutes. Use whatever berry you like — readers report delicious results with strawberries and blueberries. Priya Sharma and a berry slump. Not too bad for a April 14, 2000.
newsletter whittle down a pantry pasta to its most oomph giving essentials and you have pasta nada, an easy, life giving dinner for draining days. by mia leimkuhler hello! mia here, filling in for melissa clark today. how are you? i’m … tired. maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s just monday, but i’m slow and sluggish, the human equivalent of that womp womp trombone noise. i need a dinner that knows how bleh i am but also knows i’m hungry and want something substantial and nourishing. i need pasta nada. pasta nada, as dwight garner writes for the new york times, is pantry pasta stripped to its barest of essentials. his puttanesca pasta nada is the classic dish made with just a few of the usual suspects, a combination selected for maximum oomph and ease. “instead of employing each of the classic ingredients, try just, let’s say, black olives and anchovies,” dwight writes in step 1. “or, use just finely minced garlic and a few capers. or good canned tuna and tomatoes. these flavors cry out to be tested in variations.” (i’m also now realizing that pasta nada is economical and knows that i don’t want to go to the store in this heat; from one pasta puttanesca ingredient list come several pasta nadas. thanks, pasta nada!) featured recipe view recipe → also in the times, melissa writes about judith jones, the editor who revolutionized american cookbook publishing. “by publishing a diverse roster of authors, including madhur jaffrey, irene kuo and edna lewis, she shined a light on cuisines and cooks routinely ignored in an age dominated by white home economists and male french chefs,” melissa writes. she includes three recipes adapted from beloved cookbooks that jones edited: jaffrey’s shrimp pullao from “an invitation to indian cooking,” kuo’s stir fried chicken with mushrooms and snow peas from “the key to chinese cooking” and lewis’s baked summer tomatoes from “the taste of country cooking.” those vibrant recipes from cooking all stars will surely help me get my mojo back, as will lidey heuck’s versatile stuffed peppers. they’re so practical   use whatever ground meat you like, plus that leftover rice in the fridge   and pleasing. all that savory goodness neatly contained in a brightly colored sweet pepper feels like a real pat on the back moment. it’s also impossible to feel meh while eating hetty lui mckinnon’s silken tofu with spicy soy dressing. the cold, smooth, creamy tofu, the punchy dressing, the fresh herbs   it all comes together to make a simple meal that feels like a little luxury. but again: it’s hot, the weekend wore us out and this new week is just getting started. i say we slump into it   literally. here’s jessie sheehan’s blackberry slump, a perfectly named summer dessert that doesn’t require an oven and takes less than 30 minutes. use whatever berry you like   readers report delicious results with strawberries and blueberries. pasta nada and a berry slump. not too bad for a monday.

supported by a quick spin through the pantry can produce a dinner to remember. by dwight garner dwight garner, who has been making variations on pasta nada for decades, published a food memoir last year. in john guare’s play “six degrees of separation,” there’s a scene in which a father asks a second grade teacher, at parents’ night, why the art her students make is so especially brilliant. “look at the first grade,” he says to her. blotches of green and black. look at the third grade. camouflage. but the second grade   your grade. matisses everyone. you’ve made my child a matisse. let me study with you. let me into second grade! what is your secret? and this is what she said: “secret? i don’t have any secret. i just know when to take their drawings away from them.” i think of this scene   the father is played by donald sutherland in fred schepisi’s film version   every time i make the sort of pasta dish that’s known in our house as pasta nada. the key to a true pasta nada is deep restraint. the zen secret is knowing when to stop. pasta nada is better known to the world as pantry pasta. these are the pasta dishes you make, vastly better and less expensive than ordering out, from ingredients that are already in your kitchen. there are dozens of books, thousands of articles and many industrious websites devoted to the making of pantry pastas. the more the merrier; i like nearly all of them. but once i heard the phrase pasta nada for the first time three decades ago   from my father in law, the chef bruce lefavour, and his wife, the photographer faith echtermeyer, who used it to describe their own last minute pasta dishes   i’ve never called it anything else. names matter. would you rather eat calf’s thymus, or sweetbreads? would “the joy of sex” be a cultural touchstone if it had been issued under its original title, “alex comfort’s gourmet guide to lovemaking”? a good name is the difference, as mark twain put it in a slightly different context, between the lightning bug and the lightning. the word nada, from the spanish and classical latin, means “nothing.” it’s a word that implies renunciation, and it has a much better ring, in this context, than bupkis. if you don’t count olive oil (we don’t), the best pasta nadas employ two ingredients: parmesan and fresh herbs. olive oil, parmesan and herbs are pasta’s rhythm section, and on their own they make sublime pasta nada.
newsletter whittle down a pantry pasta to its most oomph giving essentials and you have pasta nada, an easy, life giving dinner for draining days. by mia leimkuhler hello! mia here, filling in for melissa clark today. how are you? i’m … tired. maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s just monday, but i’m slow and sluggish, the human equivalent of that womp womp trombone noise. i need a dinner that knows how bleh i am but also knows i’m hungry and want something substantial and nourishing. i need pasta nada. pasta nada, as dwight garner writes for the new york times, is pantry pasta stripped to its barest of essentials. his puttanesca pasta nada is the classic dish made with just a few of the usual suspects, a combination selected for maximum oomph and ease. “instead of employing each of the classic ingredients, try just, let’s say, black olives and anchovies,” dwight writes in step 1. “or, use just finely minced garlic and a few capers. or good canned tuna and tomatoes. these flavors cry out to be tested in variations.” (i’m also now realizing that pasta nada is economical and knows that i don’t want to go to the store in this heat; from one pasta puttanesca ingredient list come several pasta nadas. thanks, pasta nada!) featured recipe view recipe → also in the times, melissa writes about judith jones, the editor who revolutionized american cookbook publishing. “by publishing a diverse roster of authors, including madhur jaffrey, irene kuo and edna lewis, she shined a light on cuisines and cooks routinely ignored in an age dominated by white home economists and male french chefs,” melissa writes. she includes three recipes adapted from beloved cookbooks that jones edited: jaffrey’s shrimp pullao from “an invitation to indian cooking,” kuo’s stir fried chicken with mushrooms and snow peas from “the key to chinese cooking” and lewis’s baked summer tomatoes from “the taste of country cooking.” those vibrant recipes from cooking all stars will surely help me get my mojo back, as will lidey heuck’s versatile stuffed peppers.