Pasta and Salad Dinner

Tonight, though, I think most will want to cook simply, get some grub on the table soon as possible. That is the way of the world in the middle of the week, and, though we ache to change many things about our state of affairs, that is not one of them. You won’t even need a recipe! Just cook some pasta — ziti, for instance, for that’s what is on the shelf — in salted water, and drain it just before it is done, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, melt a honking big knob of unsalted butter in a pan large enough to hold the pasta and cook some diced onions or shallots in it until they’re translucent. Add some slivered sage leaves and finish cooking the pasta in all of that, making a kind of sauce with around a half-cup of the cooking water and a healthy shower of grated Parmesan — like, at least a cup. Season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and — here’s a twist — serve the whole thing on a bed of raw baby greens, which will melt a little in the heat, while still retaining some crunch. Dinner is served. NYTimes