I was going to make macaroni and cheese.  Victor had a better idea.

Rigatoni in a really simple sauce of bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta, lots of garlic, and olive oil.  Fresh dided tomatoes (marinated in a bit of olive oil) sprinkled on top.  Freshly grated cheese on top of all.

Sometimes it really is the simple things.  The beauty of Italian cooking is that it can be so simple.  I tend to fall back into the heavy sauces and lots of ingredients – which I love – but I also totally love simple foods with lots of individual flavors… where the different ingredients speak for themselves.

I’m fortunate to get the best of both worlds!

So… to compliment our simple dinner, I’ve made a simple blackberry cobbler.

Naturally, it boiled over all over the oven and made a huge smokey mess.  I’m on the far other side of the house right now and can smell it. (I’m doing an auto-clean.)

Small price to pay, though.  It looks pretty good!