My friend “The Boo” gave me the Neiman Marcus Cookbook (2003) as a Christmas present a few years ago and to this day I still love thumbing through it. After hours of working on the house – total remodel mode lambs – we were starving and I wanted pasta BAD. I had all of the ingredients for a basic marinara and was *gasp* going to to wing it on my own; shocking I know. However, I turned to the Neiman Marcus book and voila! a lovely and unique recipe for Farfalle Provencal.

Make the marinara sauce and while that cooks away prep for your pasta cooking; easy peasy! A few things I changed to the marinara, one I added a Parmesan rind to add a little bit more depth of flavor and not.waste.a.thing. Two, instead of water I used chicken broth for once again a smidge more flavor and I had some I needed to use up anyway.  Jiminy Cricket this was good! The depth of flavor with the savory tomato, salty bite of olives and capers and fresh herbacious basil was delicious. Go ahead, get your farfalle on!

Neiman Marcus Marinara Sauce  – Neiman Marcus Cookbook, 2003

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 6 cupd canned diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 3 cups canned whole plum tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil

Yields about 2 quarts

To prepare the sauce, pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring often, until garlic begins to brown. Add the diced and whole tomatoes, tomato paste, 3 cups of cold water, the pepper, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir the basil into the sauce.

Farfalle Provencal – Neiman Marcus Cookbook, 2003

• 1 quart Marinara Sauce
• 1 pound dried farfalle pasta (bow tie pasta)
• 1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil
• 1 cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives, julienned
• 1/4 cup drained capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup butter, diced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the marinara sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat and add farfalle. Turn down the heat to medium-hihg and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, unitl the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta in a large colander and shake the colander briefly under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain the pasta well and set aside.

Warm the reserved marinara sauce over medium heat, adding the basil as described in the sauce recipe. Add the olives, capers, and cooked pasta, and simmer for about 2 minutes, until the pasta is heated through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.