Summer Recap 2024
Updates + A few recipes for the last languid days of Summer
Hello all!
I hope you’ve been having a lovely warm/hot season. Personally, I’ve been doing the tango with a shocking number of random Life Interruptions…Which is why this is the first time I’ve popped into your inbox in quite some time!
The good news is that my most ambitious video project to date, which had a host of unexpected challenges and learning curves, is finally done. The other good news is that I’m finally sharing part one of that project with you today, and the rest in a new mini round-up next week! AND I’ve already lined up another tasty snacky round-up after that! She’s back with a vengeance, babyyyy!
But first, a quick tech-y announcement:
You can now opt-in to notifications when you leave a comment on Small-Pantry.com
Previously, when you left a comment and rating on a recipe page, you would have to go back and check to see if I replied (and I always do!). Not very helpful if you have questions and are hoping for answers! In addition to a handful of cosmetic refreshes, I’ve been busy updating my website to include an automated notification system.
You can now check a new box as you submit a comment, indicating that you would like to be automatically notified when I (or another reader) reply to your comment. It will only notify you about direct responses, so no need to worry about receiving notifications that aren’t relevant to you.
As always, your email address remains private and will never be shared, sold, or used for spammy things. This new system is very bare-bones, but I hope it will make leaving comments and questions more appealing!
Now on to Cooking: Fresh Pasta!
This past Spring, I reignited my love of making fresh pasta. It’s more time-consuming than using dried or vacuum-sealed, store-bought “fresh” pasta (duh), but I sternly maintain that it doesn’t have to be a weekend/vacation only process. Choosing a sauce recipe that is super simple but super flavorful is, in my mind, the secret to making fresh pasta feel weeknight-friendly. You’re spending labor resources on the pasta dough, so skip the complex, long-simmered sauces, instead keeping it breezy and quick! As a seasonal bonus, markets are bursting with gorgeous produce right now, making it even easier to toss together a simple yet flavor-packed pasta dinner.
I finally finished editing and posting my go-to recipe for fresh pasta, including a detailed cook-along style video showing three basic long pasta shapes. (Aside: editing longer videos is a ton of work, yikes.) My goal with the video is to demonstrate how easy it is to make pasta at home, even if you don’t have a pasta roller. We’re breaking down barriers!
At the very bottom of this newsletter you’ll find the video, the link to the pasta dough recipe on my website, and one of my favorite recipes for an almost-zero-effort way to serve your pasta!
Up Next: Playful Pesto Mini-Series
If I manage to coax you into trying your hand at fresh pasta, then you might find yourself looking for some easy sauce ideas!
In my next recipe mini round-up I’ll be sharing four recipes for some of my favorite pestos. Not only are they delicious, they are bonkers easy and quick. All of them can be easily thrown together while your pasta dough rests and are either no- or low-cook, ideal for the last few weeks of warm weather.
After That: Yogurt Dip for Days
Once we’ve gone to town in carb city, we’ll shift gears into some of my favorite ways to eat yogurt: savory dips.
If you’re already a fan of dolloping plain or savory yogurt on everything, I think you’ll like this series of recipes. On the other hand, I grew up thinking that yogurt was always sweetened and vanilla flavored. If you look at a tub of yogurt in your fridge and only think “fruit smoothie,” then this will be a fun trip for you! All of the recipes are fast and easy, with a huge variation in flavor and texture. I’ll bet you’ll find at least one to love. (Did I mention yogurt is good for the gut? All hail probiotics!)
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Hey there! Cooking for friends and family is a love-language, am I right? Well, let’s take that love and spread it as far as we can! May I suggest seeking out local nonprofits that support mutual aid endeavors like community fridges and advocacy for your unhoused neighbors? Or perhaps supporting organizations that provide critical support for trans youth? I also encourage finding ways to support anti-genocide efforts and relief aid in Palestine, such as through organizations like Anera.
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How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough + A Recipe for Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Garlic
Fresh Pasta Dough:
This dough recipe hails from my culinary school days (10 years ago, yikes!). It’s straightforward and tasty. What more can we ask for in a recipe like this?! I’ve kept it almost the same as the original I learned in school, but I polished up the language and converted the measurements to grams (why it wasn’t originally in grams I don’t know).
The full recipe, plus helpful photos and plenty of tips, lives on my website here:
Italian Fresh Pasta Dough
Below is the longest, most detailed video I’ve ever made. It was a challenge! I wanted to offer a more in-depth look at how to make the dough, to illustrate the textures and motions in a way that static photos can’t quite capture. You can watch the video directly on YouTube by clicking the video image below, or you can jump to the video embedded on the recipe page (at the link above). Both viewing options include a list of timestamps to make it easier to jump around to specific steps or pasta shapes.
If you enjoy this longer, more instructive type of video, please let me know by leaving a comment either directly on the YouTube page or on my website. It helps me (and the various algorithms) know that it’s worthy! I’m also always tickled when one of you drops me a note on Instagram or leaves a comment on this newsletter, so please don’t be shy. I always appreciate feedback—it’s so much friendlier than talking pasta dough to a void!
(And, if you like my videos in general, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel! If you have a Gmail account you automatically have a YouTube account, and subscribers will get the first notifications when new videos are posted! Plus subscriptions help me navigate that pesky algorithm!)
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Garlic
Now that we’ve made fresh pasta dough together, here’s one of my favorite quick and easy ways to dress it. I like to think of this recipe as a grown-up's buttered noodles. Just as comforting and easy, but with a bit more sophistication! It's a simple and quick method that highlights some of my favorite pantry staples: briny, buttery green olives, savory-sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. At less than 30 minutes start to finish, it's one of my weeknight favorites. But, thanks to that grown-up elegance, I would also happily serve this at a dinner party alongside a simple salad.
The tomatoes, garlic, etc are all cooked while the water comes to a boil, so the only adjustment needed for using fresh pasta is to cook the noodles until tender instead of al dente (Fresh pasta, by definition, can never be al dente. Let me know if you want an explanation for that!). Depending on your shape, your pasta will be done in 3 to 5 minutes. Pull one out and taste it if you’re unsure.
Since it’s still peak tomato season for most folks, I know some of you will have a luxurious glut of tomatoes on-hand. One way to make the most of them (beyond your daily tomato-mayo sandwiches) is to chunk them up, toss them in oil, and roast them in a low oven until collapsed and jammy. Those roasted tomatoes would be an excellent sub for the sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe!
Recipe Here: Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Garlic
Thanks for sticking with me through my Summer hiatus! I hope you and yours are happy and healthy. Until next week!
xoxo Julia
Happy to see you back in my inbox! I enjoy the read!