Side: Chilled Pasta Salad with Basil Cucumber Ribbons

Difficulty: Easy

Prep/Cook Time: 20 min

Chill Time: 30 min

Serves (4)

This dish stays true to the simplicity of traditional pasta salad, yet offers a bolder appeal and elegance. With vibrant flavors and distinct textures, each ingredient can be tasted for its full potential. Don't let the chill time steer you away. Prepare the meal up to 24 hrs ahead of time, and when ready to serve, top with shaved cucumber ribbons for some added pizazz.

Ingredients: 8 oz spaghetti, 1 cucumber, 2 small onions, 1 1/3 cup sweet peas, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 cup sliced olives, basil, salt, pepper, romano cheese for topping, and your favorite Italian dressing

Bring water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Once cooked, drain spaghetti and spread out on plate for faster cooling. Place plate in refrigerator.

Slice onions. Place in lightly oiled pan with peas over medium heat. Heat onions and peas until onions begin to soften and peas are soft (about 10 min). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. We want the onions to keep most of their brightness and crunch--so be careful to not overcook them. Remove peas and onions from pan and spread out on plate. Place plate in the refrigerator.

Slice tomatoes into chunks. Slice olives. Place tomatoes and olives in refrigerator.

Peel cucumber. Slice cucumber in half. Using a potato peeler, peel cucumber into strips until you reach the seeds. Sprinkle cucumber peels with basil. Refrigerate.

After 30 min, remove all ingredients from refrigerator and combine in large bowl. Mix with your favorite Italian dressing. Plate spaghetti. Roll cucumber peels to make tubes (it's fine if some tubes unroll). Arrange on top of spaghetti. Top with grated romano cheese.

Entrée: Tomato Pumpkin Soup with Goat Cheese and Basil

Difficulty: Easy

Prep/

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves (2)

Great as an entrée or an appetizer--this dish caters to the strengths of each ingredient--the acidity of the tomatoes, the mellow sweetness from pumpkin, and the bright pop of basil. Stir in soft and tangy goat cheese, and bring tomato soup into the realm of fine dining.

Ingredients: 1 cup strained tomatoes*, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1-2 oz goat cheese, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, goat cheese for topping

*If available, I recommend Pomi strained tomatoes. Packed and produced in Italy, the only tomatoes more fresh would be from your garden.

Who says amazing meals have to be complicated? Combine all ingredients in 1 qt saucepan. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally (15 min). Serve with crumbled goat cheese and a dash of dried basil. Voilà!

Entrée: Italian Sausage and Fried Potatoes with Basil Cream Sauce

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time 35 min*

Serves (2)

Think potatoes au gratin with an Italian twist. A creamy basil sauce adds a hint of sweetness to salty potatoes, while Italian sausage spices up your palate. Fresh basil is the key to this dish, helping to bring a punch of brightness. (Dried basil will work, but we're looking for a punch, not a slap.) Try to resist licking the plate when you're done.

Ingredients: 2 good sized Italian chicken (or pork) sausage links, 3 medium red potatoes, 1/2 onion, salt, pepper, oil for frying Sauce: 1/2 cup milk, 2 tbsp butter, 5-6 leaves fresh basil, 2 heaping tsp flour, 1/4 tsp garlic, 1/8 tsp salt

*Time given is for (2) servings. Cooking time will increase for more servings.

Quick note: Do not discard pans after use while cooking. The pan that is used to cook sausage will also be used for the sauce, and the pan that is used for the onions will be used to fry potatoes.

Wash potatoes (removing any eyes or large blemishes). Slice potatoes into 1/8 -1/4 inch rounds. Be careful not to slice potatoes too thinly. Though we are frying the potatoes, we do not want thin potato chips. Set aside. Rough chop basil leaves. Set aside.

Cut onion into slices. Sauté onions in large oiled pan over medium heat until almost caramelized. While onions are cooking, cut end of casing on sausages, remove sausage from casing and place in medium-sized fry pan. (If you have not removed sausage from the casing before, brace yourself for the awkwardness. This is sure to be an experience!) If using chicken sausage, a little butter or oil will be needed for the pan. Pork sausage will cook fine without this addition. Cook sausage until done. Place cooked sausage and onions in small bowl and set aside.

Add layer of oil to the large pan that was used to cook the onions. Place potato slices in pan and fry (about 5 min each side). Crack salt and black pepper over one side of potatoes. Fry all potatoes and place on paper towel as they finish.

While potatoes are frying, add 1/2 cup milk and 2 tbsp butter to the pan that was used to cook the sausage. Mix 2 heaping tsp flour in a little water to evenly dissolve. Add flour mixture to milk and butter. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once mixture boils, reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp salt, and chopped basil. (Reserve some basil for garnish.) Continue to simmer for 3-5 min, stirring occasionally. (Stirring helps prevent the sauce from scalding on the bottom of the pan.) Add sausage and onions to basil cream sauce and mix thoroughly.

Divide potatoes into two batches (reserving a few for garnish) and plate however you'd like--rows of semi circles, an X pattern--get creative! Spoon sausage and basil cream sauce over potatoes. Garnish with a few of your crunchiest potatoes and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Serving suggestion: This dish is full of spices. Choose an understated side like snap peas or spinach.