Stovetop solutions

It’s usually at this point during the summer I start to get bored with cold foods. One more sip of gazpacho, one more taste of an assorted antipasti or a Mediterranean salad and I will start longing for a good blizzard.

I don’t want to put the oven on, but I crave something cooked. The solution is simple: stovetop cooking.

I always make spaghetti with raw tomato sauce during the summer, but I have been craving a nice light pasta to serve as a first course. My sister Sandy makes a sauce of saut�ed garlic with olive oil for pasta.

Lancaster County corn is in. Edward and I regularly enjoy a dinner of corn on the cob with a platter of sliced Jersey tomatoes topped with homegrown basil. Any type of meat, fish or fowl goes well with corn and tomatoes.

Soft-shell crabs are in season, too. Although they aren’t the bargain they used to be, I will saut� these Chesapeake Bay beauties several times before they vanish in September. (You will notice soft-shells are shipped live. Simply ask your fish purveyor to do the deed for you.) Keep them in the refrigerator and cook them on the day of purchase.

Edward and I enjoyed pasta all’Amatriciana at Gioia Mia, 2025 Sansom St., several weeks ago. It was so delicious I decided to make this classic dish from Abruzzo at home.

Regular readers know how much I enjoy roasted capon, so I look for stovetop ways to make chicken.

One way is a quick saut� of chicken breasts with tomatoes and other good ingredients. Add a red, white and green salad, called tri-colour in restaurants, which I make using romaine, endive and radicchio. Top it with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Dessert is anything I pick up at the bakery or grocery store.

Here are simple stovetop dishes for summer.

Pasta all’Amatriciana

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta
1/2 pound pancetta, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 (28-ounce can) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with your hands
Sprinkling of pepperoncini
Pecorino Romano for grating

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Choose a skillet large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta. Place the pancetta in the skillet and saut� over medium-high until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and onion and saut� over medium until the onion is translucent, about three to five minutes. Add the tomatoes and pepperoncini; simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, add the pasta to the skillet and raise to medium. Toss the pasta in the sauce using tongs.

Place the pasta on four plates. Pass the Pecorino Romano.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: This dish is usually made with bucatini, a thick hollow spaghetti. Regular spaghetti, penne or rigatoni also are excellent.

Soft-Shell Crabs

Ingredients:

8 dressed soft-shell crabs
Flour for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Wipe the crabs dry with paper towels.

Place the flour, salt and pepper in a bag and shake well. Dredge each crab in the flour and place on a plate.

Heat the olive oil and butter on medium in a large skillet. Use two skillets if necessary. Saut� the crabs about three minutes on each side on medium-high. Remove to a platter.

Add the white wine and bring to a slight boil. Add a bit more butter for a richer flavor if desired. Place the crabs back in the skillet and heat through.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: Soft-shell crabs adapt to myriad sauces and coatings. If you have some slivered almonds, add to the sauce. Many Asian restaurants prepare soft-shells tempura-style. You can buy a tempura mix to coat the crabs. And add some chopped garlic and cilantro for a delicious Asian-inspired dish.

Quick Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

2 large plump, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Mix of chopped fresh or dry herbs, such as thyme, oregano, marjoram and Italian parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with your hands

Directions:

Wipe the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Set aside.

Place the kosher salt, pepper and herbs in a bag. Shake to mix well.

Coat each chicken breast in the mixture and place on a platter.

Heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and onion and saut� for about three to five minutes or until the onion is translucent. Remove the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon. Add the chicken breasts and saut� over medium for about five minutes, turning once. Add the onion, garlic and tomatoes. Raise to high, bringing it to a boil; then simmer, covering the pan. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: This is another free-form recipe. You can add some sliced celery and sliced mushrooms to the garlic and onion saut�. The addition of a small sliced carrot will give the sauce a slightly sweet flavor.

My Sister Sandy’s Pasta with Garlic and Oil

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta of your choice
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 fat cloves of garlic, sliced

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium. Add the garlic and saut� until the garlic turns a light golden brown. Do not burn the garlic. Return the pasta to the pan and toss with tongs to coat evenly.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: You can add some pepperoncini to the pan before adding the pasta. Once the pasta is in the pan, you can top it with some chopped Italian parsley. You can drizzle a bit more olive oil over the pasta once it is done. Some people like this dish without cheese, but a grating of Pecorino Romano can be tasty.