Pasta with Capers, Olives and Tomatoes

What you need

• capers - ca 60g
• black pitted olives
• parsley (fresh)
• 1 onion, 1 garlic clove
• 4 tomatoes
• red pepper powder
• 1 glass of red wine
• parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper, oil

Equipment: pot, frying pan

How you do it

• drain the capers
• chop the pitted olives
• peel and chop the onion, garlic into small bits
• wash and cut the parsley
• wash and cut the tomatoes into quarters. If you don't like the skin - put the tomatoes into a pot of hot water until the skin cracks. then peel.
• bring a pot of water to the boil. when boiling add 1 teaspoon salt. when the salt is dissolved add the pasta.
• add 1 tbl spoon to the frying pan and heat until hot.
• add the capers, chopped olives. add a bit of salt and pepper.
• cook for ca 1 min. then add the chopped parsley, onion and garlic.
• cook for ca 2 min until the onion/garlic get soft
• then add the chopped tomatoes. add 1 tea spoon of red pepper powder.
• stir frequently and cook for ca 5 min.
• add the glass of red wine. cook until the most of the wine evaporates and the sauce gets thicker.
• in the meantime - when the pasta is ready: drain it.
• when the caper/olive/parsley/tomato sauce is thick add the pasta.
• stir and cook for another 5 min.
• serve hot with freshly grated parmesan

Pasta With Porcini

What you need

• Farfalle (ca 150g/person)
• porcini (dried mushrooms), ca 100g - for 2 persons
• parsley (fresh)
• oil, salt, pepper
• a glass of dry white wine (e.g. Chardonnay)
• 1 garlic clove, 1 small onion
• parmesan cheese

Equipment: pot, frying pan

How you do it

• put the dried porcini into a small bowl. add the glass of white wine - and let rest for at least 30min. However, I usually leave it for ca 2 hours.
• wash and cut the parsley
• peel and chop garlic/onion

• put ca 1ltr into the pot. bring to the boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt. when dissolved add pasta.
• put oil into the frying pan and heat up until hot
• add the garlic, onions and half of the parsley. add a teaspoon of salt and freshly grated pepper.
• stir and cook for ca 4-5min.
• add the porcini with the white wine.
• cook until most of the wine has evaporated and the sauce gets thicker. stir frequently to avoid burning.
• when the pasta (farfalle) is ready - pour the content of the pot through a sieve to drain the pasta. But try to keep ca 100ml of the pasta water.
• add the cooked farfalle to the frying pan. stir well.
• add the other half of the parsley.
• add a bit of the retained pasta water to it.
• cook for ca another 5 min.
• then serve - with freshly grated parmesan cheese.