Soba! Soba! Soba!

Last night's dinner was a very tasty, pasta dish. Radicchio, Spinach, and Orrichette (recipe calls for Penne, but we didn't have any).

1 whole head of garlic

6 tsp olive oil

1 pound pasta

2 tsp worcestshire sauce with hickory smoke (replacing 8 oz bacon)

1 large onion

1 cup veggie broth

6 cups radicchio

3 cups spinach

1 cup basil

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Cut off top 1/2 inch of garlic head exposing cloves. Place garlic head, cut side up, on sheet of foil and drizzle with 1/2 tsp olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil. Roast until garlic is soft, about 40 mins. Let stand, then squeeze roasted garlic into small bowl.

Cook pasta.

In a separate bowl, saute onion in some oil. Add broth, rest of olive oil, worcestshire sauce, and garlic. Simmer. Add radicchio, spinach, and basil and stir. Simmer until leaves wilt.

Drain pasta. Put it back its pot. Add leafy mixture. Add cheese and crushed red pepper, toss. Season and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve.

Yum! Radicchio was still a bit bitter, if I wasn't using it I would have used a lot more spinach, which was TASTY. Also, Eric didn't cook our pasta long enough. But it was really good, and the worcestshire sauce and oil mixture did a really good job or replacing bacon in the recipe. We will be using it more in the future, I think.

Today for lunch? Soba Noodle Soup from Complete Vegetarian (modified).

Cook and drain 8 oz soba. Put soba in two bowls.

Cut up a handful of shitake mushrooms.

Mince 2 cloves garlic.

Dice 1/4 an onion or so.

Julienne some snow peas,

carrots (2),

and 1 inch of peeled ginger.

Put some sesame oil in a saute pan, heat. Add garlic and onions and cook. Add ginger, peas, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until everything looks done.

Add 5-6 cups veggie stock

1/4 cup mirin

1/3 soy sauce

Simmer for 15 min or so

Pour over soba in bowls.

This was very, very good. I would eat this for lunch almost any day.