Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

Also known as “lil’bita,” this pasta salad lies dormant in our house for years until it just pounces to life with a lil’bita this and a lil’bita that. (Yes, I realize that “lil’bita” sounds like a rapper’s name: someone who’s either a little bitter (who isn’t, these days?) or a little bita extra outrageous. I prefer the latter.)

The pasta party train left the station probably twenty-six years ago. It all started with a cooking magazine subscription. Or maybe it started with Alex’s baptism almost twenty-two years ago. I can’t remember. However, I do remember the “salad” tasted fresh and not anything like a boring salad.

I’ve lost the magazine that the original pasta salad recipe belonged to, but I remember a lil’bita something. And that’s all I need to know. It’s fresh and full of veggies and lots of colors—and you can serve it hot, cold, or at room temperature. I’ve done all three and have not wanted to puke, so there’s that.

And now, here’s this:

This and That Pasta Salad

1 eight-ounce box of pasta (I prefer shells)

1 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes

1 cup of fresh or frozen green beans

¼ cup of chopped onion

¼ cup of chopped bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow—or green)

½ cup of chopped, fresh basil

½ cup of frozen corn kernels

¼ cup of chopped fresh mint

¼ cup of chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 clove of garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over low heat and add the tomatoes, frozen corn, onion, bell pepper, mint, parsley, basil, and garlic. Give everything a smattering of fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste. Let cook over low heat—just until everything is heated through.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, for the length of time it says on the box. Add the green beans (fresh or frozen) during the last three minutes. Strain together.

In a large bowl, mix the pasta and the tomato/corn/herb/oil mixture together. Add more fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste. You can eat it now while it’s warm or let it chill in the refrigerator overnight—or eat it at room temperature. You really can’t go wrong.

Serve this dish with:

• A DJ spinning all the latest lil’bita hits
• Extra-large serving spoons (for you) and itty-bitty spoons for everyone else
• Buckets of buttery garlic toast
• Lightly chilled barrels of rosé
• Garden gnomes who love to party
• Fountains that spew stardust and parmesan cheese

Your Turn: Is there something you always liked to make in the past, but haven’t made in a while? If so, what is it?