For my first shopping trip back in the old neighborhood, I neglected to make a plan. This was surely a mistake as I walked into the HUGE supermarket complete with a butcher, fish monger, and large variety of everything. I have been so accustomed to either shopping on Fresh Direct (which I can’t get delivered here) or running to the small supermarket for essentials.
Well, when I arrived I was so taken by the fish market that I bought a WHOLE Lotta salmon. It was affordable and $90 later all I really had was salmon.
As you can imagine, I got pretty tired of salmon. I roasted a piece of salmon every single day. And the only thing I changed up were the side dishes. Normally, sides wouldn’t be an issue but my new kitchen doesn’t have a microwave and I am still deciding on whether or not I can fit one.
Along with my shit load of salmon, I got some gorgeous asparagus. I figured the best bet would be a salad of sorts.
I took a peek at a recipe on Simply Recipes. The smart thing would have been to write the recipe down or to refer to it later. I made a mental note and made something kind of like it.
Mickey has a new view of momma cooking in the kitchen. 
Penne with asparagus and ricotta (makes 2 big servings)
2 cups dry penne
1/2 lb asparagus
1/4 cup part skim ricotta
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
salt
1/4 cup pasta water
Method: Boil penne according to package directions for about 8-10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, add the asparagus to the pasta and the water. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and asparagus and place in a medium size bowl. Add ricotta, parmesan, salt if needed and to loosen it up, some pasta water 1 T at a time.
I overshot my ricotta. But then again, I have an odd obsession with ricotta cheese so I went overboard. This recipe is really flexible. I decided this had too much cheese (blasphemy) so I added a little bit of garlic.
I paired the roasted salmon with the pasta salad. Probably not the best pairing… but finding my groove to cook in this new tiny kitchen has been tough.
