Pasta with Ham, Spinach and Mascarpone; Houdini Dog

I haven't been making pasta lately

No, I'm not on a low-carb, no-carb or any other sort of diet.

I'm on a new potato eating frenzy.

In case you've never read this blog before..... We eat with the seasons. And right now it's new potato season.

I picked up a box of a new (to me) kind last week - A.O.C.

Like wine, and so many other things in France, when the French find a good thing they don't want people messing with it. Guidelines are established and procedures must be adhered to.

I have to say that these are the best potatoes I have ever, ever, ever had. But, more about that in my Sunday post.

This one is about pasta.

I realized I was slipping in my contributions to Presto Pasta Nights.

I always get such wonderful recipes and ideas at the Friday round-up - I do like to do my share.....

Started by Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast, Sweet Kitchen is this week's host and will have all of the delectable pasta dish on her blog on Friday.

Yikes! That's tomorrow!

Barely cooked spinach and cherry tomatoes, makes this similar to a

salad. It's a light pasta dinner, perfect for early summer.

Yes it has Mascarpone - I said I wasn't on a diet. Moderation......

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Trim green onions and mince garlic. Cut ham into bite-size pieces. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Prepare the spinach, wash and dry if needed, and tear any that are huge.

In a large skillet heat oil. Add onion, garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add ham and sauté 3 minutes longer. Add stock, basil, mascarpone and cook, stirring, until heated through and well combined. Add cherry tomatoes, drained pasta and cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach, toss to combine and slightly wilt the spinach. Serve... with a nice Rosado, I think.

And that does it for my spinach.... It bolted.

Regarding the case of the escaping dog I wrote about on Monday: Mon mari hid in the barn this morning when I left to do the shopping - to see what she was doing.

We were right. Not 30 seconds after I left he heard very slow, cautious paws creeping up the stairs in the hall. She carefully wound her way through the construction upstairs to the barn door and down the stairs into the barn. She did a bit of sniffing, but didn't find him hiding. She made her way down the ramp to the cellar door and ran out. She played in the field for a minute, checked out my potager, then came in through the open driveway gates and laid down by the door to wait for me.

I had no idea she was that smart. She's always been the pretty one - Sedi is the smart one.....