"whose garden is this?" pasta

there are thousands of ways to make pasta .. undoubtedly because there are thousands of italian grandmothers out there. but i dare say: even though i am not someone's grandmother or italian, i can make a mean sauce.

it's not even a sauce, but more like tapenade. no matter: i'll write the recipe and you can judge for yourself! be warned, that this feeds two gluttons or three reasonable people; i also suggest some warm bread as accompaniment.

"whose garden is this?" pasta

ingredients, to be roughly chopped:

• a 8-oz package of mushrooms, nothing fancy: white caps are fine.
  
• one green bell pepper
  
• a few stalks of basil leaves, rinsed.
  

ingredients, to prepared with boiling water:

• two whole roma tomatoes.
  
• 4-5 cloves garlic, skins off.
  
• most of a box bow-tie pasta
  

flavoring ingredients:

• salt and ground pepper, to taste.
  
• good (but not extra-virgin) olive oil.
  
• dry oregano, crushed.
  

and now for jasun's confusing directions:

1. start a medium pan of boiling water, and throw in the garlic cloves.
   in the meanwhile, start chopping.
   
   
2. when the water's boiling, throw in the pasta and the whole roma tomatoes. after 1/2 to a full minute, take out the tomatoes, then peel them and dice them roughly. be careful not to lose any of that tasty tomato juice!
   
   
3. when the pasta's ready, fish out the garlic cloves, drain the pasta, and wash with cold water. yes, i know: everyone has an opinion about the water wash, but if you want to eat single bow-ties and not a blob of warm bow-tie mess, i suggest the cold water.
   
   as for the garlic, on the same chopping board, smash them with the side of your chef's knife; if you don't have one, use a fork. then chop it a bit.
   
   
4. now for the main event: SAUTE. at the highest heat you can muster, dry-saute the bell pepper with dried oregano, stirring often, until you hear little popping sounds (that sound is the pepper skin searing). then keep the saute going for another minute or two.
   
   i emphasize: dry saute means NO OIL. we add that later.
   
   set aside the peppers, and dry saute the mushrooms with a little salt, until they start taking a little brown color along the cut edges. then add back the green pepper, lower the heat, and drizzle just a little oil.
   
   stir (or shake) the pan a few times, then add smashed garlic and stir some more. two minutes later, switch to medium-high heat, add the basil and more oil on top. stir and let saute until you can smell the basil from two steps back.
   
   sauteed basil is an amazing joy in life, so savor this moment when it comes. in fact, open the windows and the front door, so that you can be the envy of your neighbors. after all, what is good cooking but living part of the Good Life, and making other people jealous? (;
   
   anyways, when the basil is powerful, add a little water (mushrooms have a natural gravy effect), stir, and turn off the heat.
   
   
5. now in a mixing bowl, add the pasta, drizzle a little olive oil, a little salt, the and as much ground pepper as you want. stir well, then add the diced tomatoes, and the cooling pepper-mushroom saute, and stir some more.
   
   then serve.

i find that the raw tomato and the sauteed veggies mix very well, but this pasta is bite-size. if it is not too unseemly, i suggest a large spoon instead of a fork.

also, i do not suggest raw diced garlic into the saute, because it overpowers the flavor and the overall effect is confusing. boiling the garlic takes some of the bite away, just as roasting garlic does, but roasting is messy and requires a preheated oven and more time than i am patient.

because of the fresh, light nature of the pasta, i suggest a crisp white wine, but not too tart. i don't know wine brands, so google a choice or four before heading to the winery.