Super Bowl LX guide: What to do within 10 miles of Levi’s Stadium

posted in: All news | 0

You’re arriving days early for the Super Bowl LX. Or maybe you’ve scheduled some vacation days after the big game to explore the area around Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Here’s our guide to what to do, see, eat and drink within 10 miles. Keep checking back for more suggestions.

SIGHTS, ATTRACTIONS, CULTURAL HERITAGE

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose marked its 100th anniversary as a tourist attraction in 2023. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)

Related Articles


Travel: These new cruise ships will set sail in 2026


10 travel gems to visit in 2026 that are off the beaten path


Courts blocked green fee for cruises. This company is still charging it


5 cool things you’ll see at Meow Wolf LA (like a fish-shaped spaceship)


Getting crafty on the road: Travel-friendly family projects

Winchester Mystery House: For more than a century, San Jose’s most famous landmark and tourist attraction has been a Victorian mansion with a curious history. The 160 rooms are themselves an architectural marvel, but the mystery comes from the lore around owner Sarah Winchester, from her alleged obsession with the number 13, her interest in spiritualism and the notion that she kept building the house to quell the spirits of those killed by her family’s Winchester rifles. Millions of people have explored the house over the decades, including Harry Houdini in 1924.

Japantown: San Jose’s historic Japantown is one of only three such authentic neighborhoods in the United States. These vibrant blocks north of downtown seamlessly blend traditional and modern sights, shops and housing. The Japanese American Museum of San Jose is worth a visit for its coverage of the immigrant experience of the 1880s and the World War II internment era. Restaurants on Jackson Street and the surrounding area offer the full array of Japanese cuisine, along with Korean and Hawaiian fare. Need a suggestion? Anthony Bourdain ate hamachi sushi, katsu curry and tempura at Minato, the oldest J-town restaurant, when he visited.

Mexican heritage: As California was originally part of Mexico, the Santa Clara Valley’s Mexican roots run deep and the region has become a hotbed for culture, from lowrider cars to Chicano theater and Latino art galleries like downtown San Jose’s MACLA. As far as Mexican food, this valley is full of taquerias and burrito places, and everyone’s got their favorite. (Just ask.)  San Jose’s condiment claim to fame is Orange Sauce, developed by the La Victoria restaurant family and now copied by many other eateries. Not far from Levi’s Stadium is Puesto, with its fusion tacos. For an upscale experience, head to Copita Willow Glen for ceviche and succulent pork dishes or to Acopio for contemporary takes on duck and beef.

Little Saigon: Santa Clara County boasts the second-highest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam (behind only Orange County), but we’re tops when it comes to the sheer number of Vietnamese eateries. Although you can find great Vietnamese food in every city in the county, head to the Little Saigon district in San Jose for a high concentration of restaurant options. The two musts for foodies are banh mi and pho. For highly recommended sandwiches on crisp baguettes, head to a Duc Huong location. Want to slurp soup? Check out the Pho Ha Noi restaurants in San Jose, Cupertino and other Bay Area cities. Sweet, strong Vietnamese iced coffee is the drink to get.

Little Italy San Jose: Look for the gateway arch. You’ll find this ever-evolving historic district that pays tribute to the city’s original Italian immigrants of the 1880s with cultural events, a history museum and, of course, food. Restaurant options include the classic Paesano; Henry’s Hi-Life, located in a former boardinghouse; and the Littlest Little Italy, which comprises several eateries and a wine shop. The Little Italy speakeasy is located underneath the Cultural Center & Museum. Across the courtyard is the Poor House, a bistro and live-music venue.

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum: Opened in 1966 by the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, this museum contains the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in Western North America. Inside its walls, visitors can imagine they’re taking part in an exhibition of a rock-cut tomb, examine mummies, see items that were part of everyday life in ancient Egypt or interact with an AI-driven robot version of the Egyptian god Thoth.

SILICON VALLEY SITES

Computer History Museum: We’ve all got smartphones and laptops, so delving into Silicon Valley’s history and creations isn’t just for geeks. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, the world’s largest collection of computing artifacts, boasts such innovations as ENIAC, the electronic whiz; the speedy Cray-1 supercomputer; the portable but heavy Osborne; the legendary Apple I personal computer; and Enigma, the historically significant World War II machine used to encrypt Axis troop movements.

Details: 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. Open Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $21.50 with discounts for youth, seniors, military and educators.

The Tech Interactive: The mango-and-azure building in downtown San Jose signals that this hands-on learning center is more about the fun side of innovation. Inside you can explore an immersive AI environment, design and test a rollercoaster, examine the intricacies of the human body up-close at Body Worlds Decoded or be amazed by a movie on the huge IMAX dome theater.

Details: 201 S. Market St., San Jose. Admission: $38 adults, $25 for children, students and seniors. Check website, www.thetech.org, for seasonal hours.

BARS, BREWERIES, NIGHTLIFE

Joanna Ringhofer, of Santa Clara, and Drew Maxwell, of San Mateo, participate in a dance battle during trivia night at Barebottle Brewing Santa Clara in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

Barebottle Brewing Co.: The Santa Clara taproom and kitchen of this popular brewery is a primo place to enjoy the game, with multiple TVs and 20 to 30 beers on tap. There are Detroit-style square pies and tater tots from Joyride Pizza. Plus, the taproom has its own collection of games from shuffle board to pinball to “Killer Queen” – an multiplayer arcade-strategy game so rare there are reportedly only four playable consoles in the Bay Area.Details: Open daily at 2520 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara; barebottle.com/santa-clara-taproom

Mocktails from the Fox Tale Fermentation Project in downtown San Jose. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

Fox Tale Fermentation Project: You’re guaranteed a wild time, tasting-wise, at Fox Tale. Founded by a longtime brewer and a holistic-nutritionist chef, the beers are spiked with mountain juniper, or candy-cap mushrooms, or umeboshi salt brine. There is in-house brewed kombucha on tap and fascinating mocktails mixed with esoteric herbs and syrups. And if you come hungry, take advantage of the kitchen’s offerings of healthy-but-hearty dishes, like kimchi pasta with lobster mushrooms and a tasting platter of fermented delicacies.Details: Open Wednesday-Sunday at 30 East Santa Clara St., Suite 120, San Jose; foxtalefermentationproject.com

Bartender Alfredo Velazquez mixes up a drink called East Meets West at the Nokori Japanese Whisky Bar inside the Tetra Hotel in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. The East Meets West has Legent bourbon with matcha honey, lemon, mint, and ginger ale. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Nokori: For an upscale drinking experience, head to Sunnyvale’s Japanese whisky bar, housed on the ground floor of the elegant TETRA Hotel. You’ll find a carefully curated selection of whisky varieties and cocktails on offer, including highballs made from a carbonated-to-order soda fountain, plus bites like a grilled lobster sando, chicken karaage and torched Hokkaido scallops.

Details: Open 4 p.m.-12 a.m. daily at 400 W Java Dr, Sunnyvale; tetrahotelsv.com/dining/nokori.

BREAKFAST, BRUNCH AND COFFEE

A basket of bagels in the retail kitchen area of the new Boichik Bagels production facility on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Berkley, Calif. The 18,000 square foot plant will produce dough, bagels and pastries. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Boichik Bagels: For any New Yorkers making the trek out to California for the big game — don’t fret. We have great bagels here, too. Make a morning beeline for the nearest Boichik Bagels location, which comes NYT-recommended. Savor each chewy bite, slathered with whipped cream cheese. With advance notice, the shop will even make you a custom bagel shaped like a letter, number, or perhaps something more elaborate.

Details: Open 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. daily at 2050 Wyatt Drive, Santa Clara; boichikbagels.com.

At Stan’s Donut Shop in Santa Clara, Calif., 49ers doughnuts are a specialty, photographed on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. The doughnut shop is family owned and has been in business since 1959. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)

Stan’s Donuts: For one of the sweetest bites of a more nostalgic, old-school Santa Clara, Stan’s is your spot. This cash-only local favorite has been serving pillow-soft doughnuts to South Bay residents since Y.A.Tittle was the 49ers quarterback. You can’t go wrong with their warm, fresh-glazed doughnuts ($1.50), but their flavor-of-the-day buttermilk doughnut ($2) is a great choice too. Or opt for one of their specialty 49er doughnuts.

Details: Open 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily at 2628 Homestead Road, Santa Clara; stansdonutshop.com.

Valley Goat: Head to Sunnyvale’s Valley Goat, the star restaurant tenant in the new Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley, for a weekend brunch to remember. Think passion fruit mimosas, paired with a vibrant Yucatan pork belly and tomato plate, a quinoa and tuna poke salad or spiced apple pancakes, all from the mind of Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard.

Details: Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekends for brunch, the same time weekdays for lunch, 2-4 p.m. daily for bar and bites service, and 4-10 p.m. daily for dinner at 1100 N Mathilda Ave, Sunnyvale; valleygoatsv.com.

1 Oz Coffee: For an array of top-tier espresso drinks, look no further than 1 Oz Coffee, which has two Santa Clara locations. There, you’ll find an extensive menu of year-round offerings alongside craft seasonal menu items, including the peppermint-snap latte, oat cookie cappuccino and snowcap hojicha latte, plus pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse.

Details: Open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. daily at 3051 Tasman Drive, and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 549 Benton St., Santa Clara; 1ozcoffee.com.

MUSEUMS AND MORE

Triton Museum of Art: Just past its 60th anniversary, Triton holds an impressive range of art inside its walls – including the city of Santa Clara’s art collection – and offers a fresh-air experience in its pleasantly landscaped garden. The founder of Triton was a local rancher who took a big interest in raising horses, so expect lots of horsey-inspired art. There are also four new exhibits that opened in January, ranging from eerie paintings of suburbia to something intriguing called “polyphonic images.”Details: Open 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday at 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara; free admission, tritonmuseum.org

San Jose Museum of Art: Head to this art museum to take in contemporary works of painting, sculpture, film and new media. Current exhibitions include the photography of Pao Houa Her, handcrafted items by ektor garcia, mud sculptures from nearby locations and more. The museum is also a great starting point to enjoy San Jose’s First Fridays event series (the next is Feb. 6),  during which the museum is free and open late. A number of the city’s museums and galleries open their doors during this festive, monthly event.

Details: Open 4-9 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends at 110 S Market St, San Jose; sjmusart.org.

Harry Edwards, a former SJSU sociology professor, speaks at San Jose State University as the school announces the return of the track and field program Monday morning, Aug. 1, 2016. The announcement was made next to the 24-foot-tall statutes of Spartan star runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who were both in attendance. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

San Jose State University: The West Coast’s oldest public university (1857), San Jose State has been known over the years as a top college for teachers and as the university that supplies more engineers to Silicon Valley than any other. In the 1960s, it was dubbed Speed City for its revered track-and-field program. With the Olympics getting under way the same weekend as the Super Bowl, consider a stop on campus to view “Victory Salute.” The statue depicts the civil rights salute of SJSU graduates and Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

OUTDOOR, INDOOR ACTIVITIES

People play trivia and indoor mini-golf at Tipsy Putt in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

Tipsy Putt: Combine indoor mini-golf with cocktails and elevated pub fare for a fun night out with the crew at this Sunnyvale destination. From $18 per person. Note: The location becomes 21-and-up after 5 p.m.

Details: Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday at 301 W McKinley Ave., Suite 150, Sunnyvale; tipsyputt.com.

People watch kayakers at Shoreline Lake in Mountain View in June 4. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

Shoreline Lake: Head to Mountain View’s Shoreline Lake Park, where you can rent bicycles to take out on the Bay Trail, or a kayak, sailboat or canoe to play at Shoreline Lake. You can also use the park as a starting point for a strolling or birdwatching excursion.

Details: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 3160 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View; shorelinelake.com.

MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 17: Ducks sleep at the edge of the water at Sandy Wool Lake at Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas, Calif., on Monday, May 17, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Ed R. Levin County Park: Looking to get some fresh air in the green hills — with fido? Ed R. Levin County Park has 19 miles of trails, an off-leash dog park, a golf course and spaces for picnicking and fishing.

Details: Open daily 8 a.m.-sunset, 3100 Calaveras Road, Milpitas. $6 vehicle entry fee. parks.santaclaracounty.gov

MORE RESTAURANTS TO CHECK OUT

Santa Clara’s Koreatown: Over the years, a suburban Koreatown has sprung up not far from Levi’s Stadium. Head to El Camino Real for kalbi, bibimbap, noodles and more. Find a full guide to the Santa Clara Korean Food trail on the Discover Santa Clara website. Bonus: If you’re craving late-night eats, some of these restaurants are open well past midnight.

Teske’s Germania: This old-style Bavarian beer hall can accommodate all fans of Germanic cuisine with jäger schnitzel, wild-boar sausages and a baked pork shank that looks like something a caveman would thomp a dinosaur with. Lighter fare includes baked salmon with lemon-caper sauce and warm pretzels with soft Bavarian cheese. Wash it down with a cold stein of imported beer.Details: Open Tuesday-Saturday at 255 N. First St., San Jose; teskes-germania.com

 

Housing advocates seek ‘Right to Repair’ law on St. Paul’s November ballot

posted in: All news | 0

A group of housing advocates is collecting signatures to get a “right to repair” ordinance placed on St. Paul’s November ballot.

The citywide ballot question would ask residents whether they would support a local law that gives landlords 14 days to fix a broken item or schedule a repair after it’s reported to them by a tenant in writing. A similar “right to repair” ordinance was recently approved by voters in Duluth.

“They’ve got to show the effort and demonstrate it,” such as by getting bids from contractors, said Cole Hanson, a member of the Safe Homes St. Paul Committee.

Otherwise, tenants would be allowed to withhold up to 50% of their rent or $500, whichever is greater, and put the money toward replacing a broken appliance or fixing whatever needs to be remedied. Documented repair costs can also be deducted from rent or reimbursed by a landlord.

The primary focus would be on common and “commonsense repairs,” such as pest control, broken appliances, leaky plumbing, drafty windows, broken locks and broken doorframes, mold and growing cracks, advocates say.

“St. Paul and Minnesota state laws have existing protection for tenants regarding emergency repairs that put renters in immediate danger, ex: heat going out in the middle of winter,” reads the St. Paul Right to Repair website. “For non-emergency scenarios, the current systems in place can take months to resolve or require city intervention — we just want to get things fixed and move on.”

Duluth approved similar measure

Duluth voters overwhelmingly approved a “right to repair” ordinance at ballot last November, over the objection of the Duluth City Council, which voted not to support the measure last July. Landlord and business groups argued the ordinance could make rental housing more expensive, and even leave tenants legally liable for poorly executed repairs.

Critics also raised objection that making management of rental housing more complicated would inspire more mom-and-pop landlords to sell off their properties to corporate ownership groups and out-of-state interests, which can be more difficult to negotiate with when tenant concerns arise and more stringent with tenant screening.

The Safe Homes St. Paul Committee is chaired by Taylor Sibthorp, with Hanson, a former Hamline-Midway Coalition board chair, serving as political coordinator and coalition builder. Karl Berg is listed on campaign finance registration documents as treasurer.

Ashland Avenue apartments

Hanson said a leading goal is to improve properties before they suffer major deterioration. He pointed to the example of three small apartment buildings along Ashland Avenue, where “years of neglect added up,” leaving tenants pleading their case to City Hall against rent increases of 28%-50%.

Given the condition of the properties, a divided St. Paul City Council voted 4-3 last September to deny the rent increases, over the landlord’s pleas that the only way to fix them up would be to obtain an exemption from the city’s rent control ordinance and increase rents to pay for improvements.

Related Articles


St. Paul pauses towing of abandoned vehicles during ICE surge


St. Paul: Hmong elder, a U.S. citizen, forced from his home at gunpoint, according to family


MLK Day: In a time of tension, protest in Twin Cities, speakers urge rejection of violence


Hours after ABC News ran a story about Mischief Toy Store, ICE agents arrived at their door


St. Paul Animal Control likely to become ‘Animal Services’

“Really, the only way tenants got remedies was through the rent stabilization process,” Hanson said. “We also think other current remedies are insufficient.” Court-ordered injunctions, for example, are costly and time consuming, he said.

To get their question to ballot, the Safe Homes St. Paul Committee must provide 5,800 valid signatures from St. Paul voters to Ramsey County Elections. The committee aims to collect 8,900 signatures by June 1.

More information is online at safehomessaintpaul.org.

Social media addiction’s surprising challenger? Anti-doomscrolling influencers

posted in: All news | 0

By KAITLYN HUAMANI, AP Technology Writer

It’s simple to accidentally become entranced by an endless loop of videos on Instagram or TikTok. But sometimes, that mindless scroll is interrupted by a reminder that what you thought was a 10-minute break spent on your phone was closer to 30 minutes.

Olivia Yokubonis, armed with a kind voice and scientific research, often pops up in feeds on social platforms, gently reminding viewers that they might not remember the video they saw two videos before she appeared on the screen.

Yokubonis is a content creator who goes by the name Olivia Unplugged online, making videos to combat overuse or mindless use of social media. For the most part, people who view her videos welcome the disruption from the endless loop of content, treating it as a wake-up call to get off their phones. Other times, they are snarky.

“People will comment and they’ll be like, ’Oh, (it’s) ironic that you’re posting. And I’m like, ‘Where else am I supposed to find you, Kyle? Outside? You’re not outside. You are here, sitting here,’” she said. “For us to actually be seen, we have to be where people are.”

Yokubonis’ content responds to the feeling many people have, that they spend too much time on social media or apps.

“Most people have no clue how much time they spend on social media,” said Ofir Turel, a professor of information systems management at the University of Melbourne who has been studying social media use for years. Through his research, Turel found that when he presented people with their screen time information, they were practically “in a state of shock” and many people voluntarily reduced their usage afterwards.

Yokubonis is part of a growing group of content creators who make videos encouraging viewers to close out the app they’re on. Some are aggressive in their approach, some more tame; some only occasionally post about social media overuse, and some, like Yokubonis, devote their accounts to it.

She works for Opal, a screen time app designed to help users “reclaim their focus,” she said, but those who engage with her content might not have any idea she is working for the company. Brand logos, constant plugs to download the app and other signs of branding are almost entirely absent from her page. “People love hearing from people,” she said. Millions of views on her videos point to that being true.

“It’s a fine line and a balance of finding a way to be able to cut through that noise but also not adding to the noise,” she added.

Ian A. Anderson, a postdoctoral scholar at California Institute of Technology, said he finds this kind of content interesting, but is curious whether it’s disruptive enough to prompt action. He also said he wonders whether those with the strongest scrolling habits are “thoughtless about the way (they’re) intaking information.”

“If they’re paying full attention, I feel like it could be an effective disruption, but I also think there is a degree to which, if you are really a habitual scroller, maybe you aren’t fully engaging with it,” he said. “I can think of all sorts of different variables that could change the effectiveness, but it does sound like an interesting way to intervene from the inside.”

With billions of active users across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms, talk of cutting down on screen time is perennial, as is the idea of addiction to social platforms. But there’s tremendous disagreement over whether social media addiction actually exists.

Is social media “addiction” real?

Researchers, psychologists and other experts agree some people spend too much time on social media, but the agreement tends to stop there. Some researchers question whether addiction is the appropriate term to describe heavy use of social media, arguing that a person must be experiencing identifiable symptoms, like strong, sometimes uncontrollable urges and withdrawal, to qualify as addiction. Others, like Turel, acknowledge the term seems to resonate with more people and is often used colloquially.

Anderson said he recognized the prevalence of casual mentions of being addicted to phones and was curious to see if that talk was “benign.”

A recent study of his suggests the debate extends further than academic discourse. In a representative sample of active Instagram users, Anderson found that people often overestimate whether they are “addicted” to the app. On a self-report scale, 18% of participants agreed that they were at least somewhat addicted to Instagram and 5% indicated substantial agreement, but only 2% of participants were deemed at risk of addiction based on their symptoms. Believing you are addicted also impacts how you address that issue, Anderson said.

“If you perceive yourself as more addicted, it actually hurts your ability to control your use or your perception of that ability and makes you kind of blame yourself more for overuse,” Anderson said. “There are these negative consequences to addiction perception.”

Cutting down on screen time

For those looking to curb their social media habits, Anderson suggests making small, meaningful, changes to stop from opening your social media app of choice. Moving the app’s place on your phone or turning off notifications are “light touch interventions,” but more involved options, like not bringing your phone into the bedroom — or other places where you often use it — could also help.

Plenty of intervention methods have been offered to consumers in the form of products or services. But those interventions require self awareness and a desire to cut down on use. Content creators who infiltrate social media feeds with information about the psychology behind why people scroll for hours a day can plant those early seeds.

Cat Goetze, who goes by CatGPT online, makes “non-pretentious, non-patronizing” content about artificial intelligence, building off her experience in the tech industry. But she’s also been on a lengthy road to cut down her own screen time. She often makes videos about why the platforms are so compelling and why we tend to spend longer than we anticipate on them.

“There’s a whole infrastructure — there’s an army of nerds whose only job is to get you to increase your time spent on that platform,” she said. “There’s a whole machine that’s trying to get you to be that way and it’s not your fault and you’re not going to win this just (through) willpower.”

Related Articles


Recipe: Call it a ‘stew’ if you must, but this veggie dish is delicious


Travel: These new cruise ships will set sail in 2026


Why mystery readers will be seeing a lot of the detective DS Cross book series


10 travel gems to visit in 2026 that are off the beaten path


‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ review: Lighter and refreshing ‘GoT’ fare

Goetze also founded the business Physical Phones, which makes Bluetooth landline phones that connect to smartphones, encouraging people to spend less time on their devices. The inside of the packaging reads “offline is the new luxury.”

She was able to build the business at an accelerated pace thanks to her social media audience. But the early success of Physical Phones also demonstrates the demand for solutions to high screen time, she said.

“Social media will always play a part in our lives. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. If we can get the average screen time down from, if it’s 10 hours for a person to one hour, or from three hours to 30 minutes, that is going to be a net positive benefit for that individual and for society,” Goetze said. “That being said, I’d love to be the person that they’re watching for those 30 minutes.”

Recipe: Call it a ‘stew’ if you must, but this veggie dish is delicious

posted in: All news | 0

Don’t be put off by the designation of “stew” in the title of this delicious dish. The concoction is delicious and packed with veggies (you can add more if you wish). This mix is a scrumptious way to get vegetables happily down the kid’s gullets. Use the style of smallish pasta you like best, such as penne, ziti, or farfalle.

Vegetable and Pasta ‘Stew’

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces, about 3 1/2 cups

1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped

10 green onions, trimmed of roots and dark green stalks, white and light green portion cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 head of cauliflower, cored, divided into florets

1 medium zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, to taste

Pasta

1 pound small dried pasta, such as penne, ziti, bow-tie

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. For vegetables: Heat olive oil in large deep skillet. When hot, add eggplant and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. It will absorb most of the oil. Add red onion, green onions, bell pepper, and cauliflower (add a tiny bit of oil if needed); gently toss. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, for another 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Gently toss and set aside.

2. For pasta: Bring about 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water. Drain pasta.

3. In large bowl, place reserved pasta-cooking water, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper; stir. Add pasta and toss. Stir in reserved vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Pass some Parmesan cheese for optional topping.

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

Related Articles


Warm up with creamy rutabaga, parsnip and cheddar soup


5 tips — and dishes — to get your new year off to a healthy start


5 tips — and dishes — to get your new year off to a healthy start


This easy cornbread is spicy-cheesy goodness


Gretchen’s Table: Re-create Anthony Bourdain’s beef bourguignon