Spaghetti with puntarelle and mushrooms
I was feeling a bit down because my I haven't getting it quite right in the kitchen lately, so I decided to go back to the basics -- something with simple flavors and simple preparation.
I didn't follow a recipe for this, but here's how I made it: as the spaghetti boiled, I put a minced clove of garlic on olive oil until lightly golden, then threw 2 cups of puntarelle leaves (torn in small pieces; they don't sell the shoots here) in the pan and sautéed until they wilted a little. Once there was space in the pan, I added a handful of sliced brown mushrooms, salt and pepper, and half a glass of white wine, sautéeing it all a bit more until the wine reduced. Once the pasta was done, I put it in the pan, together with two cups of pasta water, and tossed everything until the water coated everything and wasn't pooling at the bottom anymore.
Eating this pasta and being able to taste each ingredient felt very grouding.