Hello everyone! I am finally back after 10 intense months of writing this book! And here is my first column that I wrote upon returning to the business of “regular” life….

If you like the idea of running a marathon in pantyhose three sizes too small and stiletto heels, you may want to consider writing a 750-page book. In my estimation, both experiences seem one and the same.

Had I known, when a publisher asked me to write “The Ultimate Pasta and Noodle Cookbook,” I would have traded those constrictive polymer tubes and stilettos for spongy gym socks and a sensible pair of sneakers and negotiated 2 years instead of 8 months to finish the race.

Learning truly is in the doing of things.

Still. It wasn’t all arduous, distressing work. Some aspects of writing this book were unforgettably wonderful. And though I am still slightly out of breath even now, I couldn’t have imagined or hoped for a more supportive atmosphere through it all.

My husband, a trooper, stoically enabled me to be a spectator parent for months on end. He whined only once – during recipe testing – after the 967^th time I asked (and then begged) him to go to the supermarket to fetch some God forsaken ingredient or other that I had forgotten.

My girls, for the most part, patiently endured my in absentia mom status, even as they repeatedly strolled past the back of my head, which more often than not hovered over my laptop or a book. On the upside, they learned that they indeed CAN pick up their own socks off the floor.

My entire family tolerated months of me being too busy to cook a proper meal (the ironic and untold story of cookbook writing, to be sure). This required them to eat pizza ad nauseum. As such, I expect to start receiving yearly holiday greetings from California Kitchen and Newman’s Own, as we must have bought more than our triple fair share of their boxed offerings during that time. With the book writing behind us, I am happy to say I haven’t heard what became a popular dinner-time slogan: “NO! Not pizza, again!”

The folks at my publishing house, Cider Mill Press, were an incredibly encouraging and collaborative group of people and made my foray in the world of book publishing about as warm and fuzzy as I could have ever wished or hoped for. Metaphorically speaking, they were the perky, smiling marathon volunteers that handed out water bottles and peppy words of encouragement at each mile pit stop. This was never truer during the last month, when the looming print deadline made the little hairs on the back of all our necks stand to attention.

Still. Even all the support in the world couldn’t have prepared me for some of the more unexpected by-products of writing a book.

First, as an intrepid extrovert, I discovered that I don’t do well in the solitude that writing a book requires. As I temporarily suspended lunches and coffee sessions with girlfriends, monthly book club meetings, and weekend socializing, I was increasingly left with my own untethered thoughts. Before I knew it, featherbrained musings took over. I began to wonder about baby ants. Where were they anyway? Above ground, all we see are full-grown ones. How come we never see a momma ant steering her little babies around as she proceeds with the business of stampeding the cats’ food bowls? And if they don’t get any on-the-ground training, how do they know to come after our picnics? I also began to consider what character trait determines whether someone walks into a shower BEFORE or AFTER turning on the water. I knew I had had enough alone time when I started imagining the suburban pandemonium that would ensue a ban on motorized gardening tools.

Second, my girls began exhibiting blatant and unabashed hostility at eating pasta and noodles night after night. This reaction peaked during the recipe testing and food photographing phase, which required me to prepare up to three pasta and noodle dishes a day. At one point, upon being served homemade tagliatelle with an herbed madeira cream and pancetta sauce, my little one exploded. “I can ’t take pasta anymore, mamma!” She wailed. “Why can’t I have peanut butter and jelly like a regular kid?”

Third, I fell in love with pasta more deeply and tenderly. Researching this vast topic made me humbly realize that, despite being Italian and a foodie, I had merely begun to scratch the surface. I will be sharing many of the fascinating facts and stories I learned along my journey in upcoming columns.

It will feel like a relaxing stroll through a verdant park…in comfortable shoes.

Below you will find 2 recipes that appear in “The Ultimate Pasta and Noodle Cookbook,” available on the sidebar of my blog (slated for release on October 24, 2017).

pasta with fresh mushroom sauce

Created by Serena Cosmo on August 21, 2017

Serves: 4
Category: Pasta, Sauce

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh porcini or an assortment of fresh mushrooms (a mixture is best—white button, cremini, shiitakes, and/or chanterelles, if you can find them)
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
4 1/2 tbsps. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
3/4 lb. pasta
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 handfuls fresh parsley leaves, minced
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving

How To

Trim the bottoms of the mushroom stems. Fill a very large bowl with cold water and add the vinegar. Add the mushrooms and swirl them around in the water for 30 seconds or so. Drain and rinse them under cold water. Drain again and place on a kitchen towel, stem side down, so that any remaining water drains. Let air dry for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/3-inch slices.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While the water comes to a boil, heat a skillet large enough to hold finished pasta over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil and raise the heat to medium. When the butter stops foaming, add the garlic and cook until it begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Discard the garlic.
Add the mushrooms and salt and white pepper to taste, mixing well. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the mushrooms release their water, about 6 minutes. Continue to cook until their water has evaporated and the mushrooms are nice and soft but haven’t turned brown yet, 4 to 5 minutes Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
When the water for the pasta is boiling, add salt (1 tablespoon for every 4 cups water) and stir. Add the pasta and stir for first minute to prevent any sticking. Cook following the package instructions, though you will drain the pasta 2 minutes prior to the directed cooking time. The pasta should be soft but still very firm. Right before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta cooks, measure out a cup of cooked mushrooms and puree (using an immersion blender is fastest but you can use a regular blender or mini food processor). Return the puree to the skillet, along with the thyme and two thirds of the parsley, and stir. Heat the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, then adjust the heat to low and cover.
Drain the pasta and return the empty pot to the stove. Immediately turn the heat to high and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and reserved pasta water. Add the pasta and toss until the water is absorbed. Add the mushroom sauce and cook, mixing continuously, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Divide the pasta between four warmed bowls and serve piping hot topped a few good cracks of pepper and sprinkled with the remaining parsley and Parmigiano (or pass the grated cheese at the table).

pasta with herbed madeira cream sauce & pancetta

pasta with herbed madeira cream sauce and pancetta

Created by Serena Cosmo on August 21, 2017

Serves: 4
Category: Pasta, Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup Madeira wine
4 fresh sage leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. pancetta, chopped
2 1/2 tbsps. unsalted butter, divided
1 small Vidalia onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 lb. tagliolini, tagliatelle or small, ridged penne
Freshly-grated Manchego cheese, for serving

How To

Bring the Madeira to a boil in a small saucepan and continue to boil until reduced almost by half (this will concentrate its flavor, including acidity and sweetness). Remove from the heat.
Set 3 sage leaves aside and very thinly slice (paper thin!) the fourth one. Set aside. Remove one third of the leaves from the sprig of rosemary and mince. Leave the rest of rosemary sprig as is and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to medium. Once the oil begins to swirl on the surface but is not yet smoking, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it renders its fat and turns a golden caramel color, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Once it melts and stops foaming, add the onion, a couple pinches of salt, and white pepper to taste, and stir. When the onion starts to sizzle, adjust the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 20 minutes.
While the onion cooks, put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Once it’s boiling, add salt (1 tablespoon for every 4 cups water) and stir. Add the pasta, stirring for the first minute to prevent any sticking. Cook according to the package (or recipe) instructions, draining the pasta 2 minutes short of the directed cooking time. The pasta should be soft but still very firm. Right before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
When the onion is cooked and you’ve added the pasta to the water, raise the heat to medium-high under the skillet and add the cream and reduced Madeira. Cook, stirring a few times, until the sauce thickens a bit, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta and return the pot to the stove. Immediately turn the heat to high and add the remaining ½ tablespoon butter and reserved pasta water. Add the drained pasta and toss. Add the onion mixture and cook, tossing continuously, for 2 minutes.
Divide the pasta among four warmed bowls. Serve piping hot topped with the crispy pancetta bits and a good dusting of Manchego cheese (or pass the grated cheese at the table).