If this dish looks like work that’s because it is. It’s the kind of work I like, though, so it’s kind of not work. But, depending on who you are, these Pear and Parsnip Agnolotti may look obnoxiously involved. And it is true, this is not a 30-minute weeknight dinner. This is a lazy, rainy Sunday dinner. A keep-my-hands-busy-so-I-don’t-think-about-the-news kind of dinner. A let’s-push-up-against-the edges-of-my-capabilities kind of dinner. And maybe you’re not in the market for that kind of dinner right now, but the moment you are, you’ll be glad these petite pasta parcels exist.

When I was young, butter and noodles were all it took to thrill me. I was a pasta purist, I never liked it overdressed. Too much sauce just got in the way of the carbs. Fast forward to today and nothing much has changed. I still like my pasta sparsely sauced and plentiful. And I have a healthy appreciation for the simpler noods out there. But there are a few things that have changed and this 40 Clove Bucatini reflects those perfectly. My taste for bitter foods being the biggest shift, followed closely by my love of intense flavors. This seemingly simple bowl highlights both – with ribbons of bitter and brilliant radicchio and a thin but potent sauce flavored by 3 heads of roasted garlic.