I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately. When I sent my dear friend Monica a Miles Davis song, she immediately responded, ‘Are you cooking?’ It’s a joy to be understood so well by a friend. The influence of the work of the great artists and musicians I’ve been immersing myself in is palpable, sparking inspiration and creativity. Like an artist in their studio, I’ve found myself drawn to the kitchen. Cooking, in its many forms, has become more than a pastime. It’s a profoundly transformative experience; like an artist using color, texture, and form to create a painting, a chef uses ingredients, flavors, and presentation to craft a culinary masterpiece.
Recently, I completed a book on the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period (1901–04). The book delved into how the young Picasso, born in Málaga but moved to Barcelona at 14, crafted a unique style and a strong artistic identity. He adapted the artistic lessons of fin-de-siècle Paris to the social and political climate of an economically struggling Barcelona. Despite his controversial reputation, which is a result of his unconventional artistic techniques and personal life, I’m struck by his passion and the profound impact of his art on the human experience.
Picasso’s Blue Period is a series of monochromatic events and a deeply personal journey into the universal consciousness of pain. Inspired by the suicide of his close friend, Carlos Casagemas, these paintings resonate with me on a deeply profound level. They carry a somber mood focusing on human suffering, sadness, poverty, and social isolation. They seem rather apt for these trying times.
The ‘blue’ theme, reminiscent of Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, seems to echo a sense of loss and mourning that I’ve felt in my own life recently. It’s as if Picasso’s brushstrokes and the aching and evocative loneliness of Miles’s trumpet have captured my experiences, creating a shared connection through their art. I understand all too well how art and music, with their transformative power, can alter one’s mood, change perceptions, and inspire change.
Picasso and Davis, with their bold and unconventional styles, radically deconstructed traditional perspectives of both art and music. Comparable to Picasso, Miles was at the forefront of every cutting-edge change in his art. Both are known for their bold and daring creative risks, pushing the boundaries of their work to excess. Picasso, estimated to have created around 50,000 art pieces, left a monumental legacy and often went far beyond what was considered socially acceptable (see his piece “Guernica”). Both men were very charismatic and complex, and each had a ferocious temper, which reminded me of the Italian word arrabbiata. Arrabbiata means ‘angry’ or ‘get fired up’ in Italian.
In the Romanesco dialect, the adjective arrabbiato denotes a characteristic of being pushed to excess. Excess in art refers to using exaggerated or extravagant elements in an artwork. It involves going beyond the usual or expected boundaries regarding quantity, size, color, texture, or any other artistic element.
Just as their art was a bold departure from the norm, this spicy recipe is a daring departure from traditional Italian cuisine. It incorporates both expected and bold flavors, such as the intensely concentrated sweet and savory flavor of slow-roasted tomatoes and garlic paired with rich, slightly nutty Parmesan, but also the sharp, pungent, biting kick of red pepper flakes. Despite these complex flavors, it comes together quickly and easily, making it a perfect choice for a busy weeknight. Paired with a dry Pinot Noir like my new favorite central coast Poppy Pinot Noir Reserve, this dish is genuinely la comida como arte.
XOXO,
Steph
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Pasta Arrabbiata with Spinach, Black Pepper & Parmesan
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegan
Description
It’s a spectacular dish and so easy. I believe the key is to find fresh organic garlic. I added a whole head of garlic to some tin foil, drizzled it in olive oil, and slowly roasted it with two pints of fresh cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- Pasta of choice, such as rigatoni, spaghetti, or penne
- Two pints of cherry tomatoes
- 2 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp fennel seed, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Head of garlic
- 2 cups fresh organic spinach
- 1 cup fresh vegan ricotta cheese (I used Kite Hill)
- 1/2 cup grated vegan parmesan
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a medium bowl, toss cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the top off the garlic to expose the cloves inside. Place a garlic head, cut side up, in the center of a foil square. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Bring the foil sides up to enclose the garlic, creating a sealed packet.
- Place tomatoes and garlic in preheated oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing tomatoes halfway through the cooking time. Roast until tomatoes are tender and beginning to brown.
- After tossing the tomatoes halfway through cooking time, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside, saving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- When the tomatoes and garlic are done, remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the garlic cloves from the garlic paper. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor with spinach, vegan ricotta, grated parmesan, olive oil, white sugar, lemon juice, and tsp each salt/pepper.
- Process into a smooth sauce. If the mixture is too thick, add one cup of pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Add arrabbiata sauce to drained pasta. Over medium heat, stir in red pepper flakes and taste for seasoning.
- Plate pasta with additional parmesan cheese.
- Enjoy!
