Girls’ Night In Pasta
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Cottage Inn Pizza is pretty famous throughout parts of the Midwest, but not many people know that the original Cottage Inn is actually a full-blown Italian restaurant. They have the same fantastic pizza, but they also have a full menu of pastas, salads, and desserts, all in the best traditional Italian style.
Years ago, when I lived in the Ann Arbor area, Cottage Inn was my favorite place to go for pasta. I always came back to one dish in particular, a blend of artichoke hearts, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese tossed with rigatoni and pesto. It was delicious.
It’s been years since I’ve been to Cottage Inn, but I’ve created my own version of that flavorful pasta I used to love. It’s a simple dish, really, that can be tossed together from ingredients you keep in the pantry, and it’s ready in less than half an hour. Of course, if it’s mid-summer, you can certainly go to the effort of making your own pesto from the fresh basil they sell at the farmers’ markets, but personally, I find I tend to eat more pasta in the winter, when I want something warm and hearty for dinner. So for this recipe, I usually use good-quality jarred pesto.
Now that I’m pregnant, I’ve been craving pasta more often, and I made this dish for Eli for the first time this week. To my surprise, he didn’t comment on the lack of meat in it, but I did notice that he didn’t go after the leftovers. And while I don’t mean to sound like I’m stereotyping, I’ve found that this really isn’t a guy’s pasta. The men in my life like their pasta heavy and meaty, with rich tomato sauce and lots of cheese.
This pasta has a more sophisticated blend of flavors, and always seems to get rave reviews from the girls. Thus, I’ve nicknamed it “Girls’ Night In Pasta.” It makes a great meal if you’re having a group of gal pals over for dinner. Add a green salad and a bottle of wine, and you’ve got a perfect menu that’s ready in about 20 minutes.
Girls’ Night In Pasta
Serves 6.
1 pound rigatoni or other pasta
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 small jar sun-dried tomatoes, removed from the oil (save the oil to make a fabulous vinaigrette!)
3/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
8 ounces good-quality jarred pesto
8 ounces fresh mozzarella (I like the tiny balls, so I don’t have to dice anything)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese
Fill a large saucepan with water, add a drizzle of olive oil, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and return to a boil. Cook 12-13 minutes or until al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl.
Add the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, pesto, mozzarella, and parmesan. Toss together until well mixed.
Serve immediately.
For a printable version of this recipe, click here.
