Pasta al la Linda

Finally! A recipe that is my own. This is sort of my go to meal. I was not feeling the cooking vibe today and am lacking motivation to create my menu for the week. It may have something to do with the pressure of the bar exam looming less than a week away. Cooking tends to be a stress reliever, though, so once I got started in the kitchen, my inspiration returned and I played a little with my original "recipe".

This dish is really simple usually, but I had some extra ingredients to play with and made it slightly more decadent. I was super pleased with my changes and I think this dish is now perfected! I've tried to approximate all the measurements so I can write a recipe, but it's all a guess. I didn't measure anything, so if you make it, go by your own tastes and how it looks.

Linguine and Olives

2 T olive oil

1 T butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 c white wine

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 c chopped black olives

1/2 T chopped pimento

1/2 T (or more) red pepper flakes

1/2 c goat cheese

1 T mascarpone cheese

2 T chopped fresh oregano

1/4 c chopped parsley

chopped cherry tomatoes

8 oz uncooked linguine or other long pasta

Boil large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add white wine, balsamic vingegar, chopped black olives, pimento and red pepper flakes. Reduce slightly. Stir in cheeses until melted. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Stir in fresh herbs and the tomatoes. Add hot pasta along with a little of the cooking liquid to the skillet. Toss to combine. Serve with freshly grated cheese of choice (I use either Parmesan or Romano).