Easy Basil and Ginger Pasta

Tonight I made a simple pasta, with one major substitution (for me). Now, I love garlic. Let me rephrase that. I REALLY love garlic. Garlic, to me, is one of those foods that goes well with just about anything, and I'm not sure you can ever use too much of it. It is good for you, easy to combine in recipes and cheap. I put garlic in almost every pasta dish I make, but tonight I went wild and crazy and used some ginger instead.

I have a jar of minced ginger (yes, I cheated and didn't use fresh ginger this time) from the last time I made stir-fry, and I was afraid it would go bad before I finally used some again. After tonight's experiment, I can say with some certaity that the jar will not be forgotten, and I am going to try and find some ginger recipes to experiment with. Besides being delicious, ginger is great for the stomach and aiding digestion, nauesa, and enhancing qui flow. It's also amazing in fresh fruit juice, adding a bit of a kick to it. I can't wait to get a juicer again... my last one died about a year ago. :(

But, I digress. Here is what I threw together tonight for a quick-ready in 20 minutes-dinner. All measurements are completely adjustable to taste (and estimated here), and the dish is pretty darn healthy. Feel free to leave out the butter and/or cheese, but I think they add a nice touch.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people as a main meal, 5-6 as a side dish)
1 lb. pasta (I used egg noodles)
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbs ginger (fresh or from the jar; add a bit and adjust to taste, as ginger can get quite potent.)
3/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs butter
Sea Salt, Black Pepper and Freshly grated Parmesan to taste

Prepare pasta per box directions. Drain pasta and immediately toss with oil. Add butter. As the butter is melting, stir in your basil and ginger. Top with freahly grated sea salt, black pepper and parmesan cheese.

Voila! A quick, cheap and yummy dinner.

I also made the sour cream blueberry cake on Saturday; this time,with less blueberries and a bit more flour in the pan. It was MUCH easier to get onto the cooling rack! The real test was when a pastry chef tried some. She liked it so much she took some home!

Stay tuned to hear how my soda bread turned out on Friday!