Mid Missouri Meal

Yesterday we started talking about the possibility of going to the MU/KU game at Arrowhead Stadium !  We were so close to saying yes, but then realize the game was on at 11:00am and there was no way we could make it from St. Louis to Kansas City for kick-off-shucks. 

I was inspired to make one of my first pasta dishes sans red or cream sauce that I discovered while we lived in Columbia, Missouri.  

Mid Missouri Menu:

Columbia Pasta

Crusty Bread

Red Grapes

Wine Spritzers!

Cast of Contributing Characters,Cities:

Columbia: I had so many epicurean firsts in Columbia:  goat cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, olives stuffed with blue cheese, cosmos, hummus, sushi, pad thai, on and on and on!

Lake of the Ozarks: There is nothing like Lake life.  I believe it gives us a license to eat and drink without a hint of manners or protocol.  For instance, when we have the following spritzers at the Lake, they are served in old, tattered, white plastic cups with Mizzou's 1988 game scheduled printed on them.  There is no getting a fresh glass for each drink, we simply keep remixing and adding more limes!

Columbia Pasta:

Ingredients

7 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 T Balsamic Vinegar

Container of grape tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

Package of mushrooms, slice bottom of stems and then quarter.

Package of tender peas

4 oz of thinly sliced prosciutto-packaged or from the deli, cut prosciutto into 1/2 inch squares.

 2 t ground oregano

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 1/2  c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

16 oz Vermicelli Pasta or Angel Hair

Preheat oven to 450.  Place grape tomatoes on shallow baking sheet.  Toss with 3T Olive Oil, 3 T Balsamic Vinegar, dash of Kosher and a few twist of black pepper.  Place the tomatoes in the oven for about 25 mins.  Stir once, half-way through.  The skins of the tomatoes should be split.

When tomatoes go into the oven, place a pot of salted water on the stove top for the pasta.  Bring water to a boil.

Place large skillet on stove top.  Pour at least 4 T of olive oil in pan.  Heat oil on med-high heat.  Add prosciutto.  Heat until just crisp.  Add peas, mushrooms, S, P, and oregano.  Heat on med heat until peas and mushrooms are cooked through.

Add pasta to boiling water, cook for 3-4 mins.  Drain.  

Add prosciutto mixture and tomato mixture to pasta.  Toss.  Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Toss.  TASTE!  More olive oil may need to be added.  

Serve on with extra Parmesan cheese on top!

Wine Spritzers: Lake of the Ozarks

Inexpensive White Wine

Fresca

cut limes

Fill glass with crushed ice.  Pour glass 3/4 full of vino and then top with Fresca.  Stir. Squeeze lime into drink. Enjoy!