We’ve been cooking a lot lately, in fact much more than we’ve been eating. There are several reasons. One is the discovery of a book on Pasta, and there are recipes in it that I’m eager to try. Another reason is guests; we tend to make too much, because we want to be sure we have enough for them. And, finally, we have opportunistic buying — items on sale, a trip to the fish market that won’t be repeated soon, or a new farm stand with excellent produce,

All of these combined to make tonight’s surfeit of items in our refrigerator which could be used for our dinners. Here is a short list:

• pasta with caramelized onions, walnuts, and rosemary that we made for guests last night
• homemade Gravlax
• lobster risotto, leftover from dinner several nights ago
• Spanish octopus, purchased on a rare trip to Cambridge on Wednesday, cooked the next day, and left over from Friday’s lunch.
• Radicchio di Treviso and a small Burrata from shopping mid-week
• Fregola in Cassola, made for the first time from the recipe in The Geometry of Pasta, using Manila clams from Eataly Boston, leftover from lunch two days ago
• Campanelle Pasta with Mackerel, Tomato and Rosemary — same reason as above and leftover from yesterday’s lunch

There were small quantities of each of these, but enough for one meal usually. My wife and I have different approaches in this situation. She is all about speed and efficiency. She grabbed the pasta with onions, walnuts, and rosemary and the leftover green beans in the container, whipped them out onto a plate, and popped it into the microwave. Sixty-five seconds later it was warm enough to eat, and she was back to the evening television in 8 minutes.

I stayed out of her way while I assembled what I needed for my meal. I was concerned that the lobster risotto might be dry upon reheating. I wanted to use the Radicchio and the Burrata tonight, and I thought the inherent sweetness of the risotto and Burrata would complement the bitterness of radicchio. I chose to pan roast the radicchio, cutting it in half lengthwise and searing it in olive oil with weights on top to ensure browning. Reheating the risotto in a non-stick pan with some water, on low heat, provided the moisture and texture I was seeking. The Burrata was put on top of the radicchio while it cooked, and a drizzle of Balsamico on the cheese made the flavors come together nicely. All I needed then was a glass of Spumonte from the Veneto, and all was right with the world. This was particularly true since my wife had her headphones on, so I did not have to hear the News.