HEARTY PORK AND PASTA (FUSION)

This was sort of a "fusion" pasta, incorporating bits of Italy, China and Kentucky into a very quick, hearty-yet-not-too-heavy main course.

About an hour before dinner, I took a frozen pork tenderloin, and whacked off a modest portion of it (maybe 6 ounces) with a cleaver. Set it aside to let it thaw a little, but when it was still quite firm, I took the cleaver and halved it lengthwise, then sliced it into VERY thin (1/16-inch slices or even thinner if possible) "pork chips," which I set aside.

Fifteen minutes before dinner time, I took a couple of LARGE garlic cloves (might have used three or four if they were smaller) and sliced them crosswise into paper-thin rounds. Tossed them into about a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet and put them over medium-low heat until they started to turn golden and very aromatic. Then raised heat, tossed in the pork chips, and stir-fried it all together until the pork just lost its raw color. Added one cup of tomato sauce (used some of our frozen stash home-made from last summer's bounty, but canned or boxed would do), plus salt and dried red pepper flakes to taste, and left it to simmer and thicken over low heat for a few minutes.

Boiled enough pasta for two (I used bucatini, but spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, etc, would do). When al dente, drained pasta, tossed with sauce, sprinkled on Parmigiano, put on table. With a green salad and a leftover half- baguette, it was dinner enough. And it went great with a Languedoc Merlot.