And we go full circle

After a much well-deserved vacation in Costa Rica, the first day back in the grind is always the most challenging. One of the easiest items to prepare is pasta. Even with the New Year's resolutionists, this dish did very well. As I was making the sauce, it reminded me very much of the Red Lentil Orecchiette from Millennium. See for yourself.

Saffron, coconut, and tomato linguine

First, get the saffron broth going in a stock pot, and keep the broth hot, not boiling. In a separate pot, saute the onions over low heat in extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red lentils and saute those too. Ladle in the saffron broth little by little. Stir in diced tomatoes. Once the lentils are almost fully cooked, add the coconut milk. At this point, I noticed my sauce was more like a soup. To thicken, I added tomato paste. Finish the sauce with fresh lemon zest and a splash or two of fresh lemon juice. Fresh is key. The linguine was tossed with the saffron sauce along with some blanched kale.