For lunch today I finished up the lentil dish from last night.  Since I didn’t eat until 2 PM, I was pretty well sated until late this evening.  By the time I started to get hungry, I was ready for a solid pasta dish, so I turned again to Marcella Cucina, and came up with a superb Rosemary and Sage Pasta sauce.  I chose an organic penne pasta to go into the sauce.  The whole meal could be done in in 45 minutes, and it was delicious.

As you can see, the recipe calls for a little pancetta.  I made the choice to use it in the dish tonight because I love the flavor, and the quantity of animal protein is very small.  I think next time I will substitute some dried porcini — nicely browned — to replace it if I want to keep it vegan.  The rosemary and sage were picked fresh from my herb garden tonight (even added a bit of chives), and I was amazed how the sauce tempered the harsh qualities of those two herbs as it simmered along, making the end result smooth and tasty.  My wine choice was another of Jan D’Amore’s outstanding imports, a 2007 Flavio Roddolo Nebbiolo d’Alba from Piemonte.  I knew the taste from two previous encounters, so I chose it purposefully and was well-rewarded.