The Dinner You Can Make Asleep

You've spent the last month cooking and hosting and dining and drinking with appropriate extravagance. Now we want simple fast dinners that allow plenty of recovery time afterwards. The following basic menu can either be thrown together at the end of a long day returning to work, or dressed up with candles, good silverware and fine wines to treat similarly exhausted friends. Idiot-proof and not even a little "semi-homemade" - perish the thought - this is the easiest meal imaginable. If you can't pull this one off, dear friends, we may not be able to help you.

COCKTAILS

Champagne (because you can never get enough and requires no mixing)

FIRST COURSE

FENNEL SALAD

Arrange 1 fennel bulb (shaved thinly) atop plates. Crown with a few shavings of good Parmesan. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Voila!

MAIN

ANTIPASTI PASTA

3/4 pound penne (we use whole wheat) / 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil /1 cup jarred roasted red peppers—drained and cut into strips /2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced /1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper / 1 small head escarole, inner leaves only, chopped (about 4 cups) / One 6-ounce can Italian tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked /3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the red peppers, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat until the peppers are softened, 6 minutes. Add the escarole and cook, stirring, until wilted, 3 minutes. Stir in the tuna.
3. Add the pasta, the reserved cooking water and 1/2 cup of the Asiago to the skillet and cook, tossing, until the liquid is nearly absorbed, 2 minutes.
4. Transfer to bowls, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Asiago and serve.

DESSERT

PINEAPPLE FOSTER

4 tablespoons unsalted butter / 1/2 cup light brown sugar / Pinch of cinnamon / 1/2 ripe pineapple—peeled, cored and cut into 8 long spears (or you can buy the pre-cut cubes in the supermarket) / 1/2 cup dark rum / Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. In a large skillet, cook the butter over high heat until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
2. Add the pineapple and cook over moderate heat, shaking the skillet, until the sugar is melted and the pineapple is slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Flip the pineapple spears.
3. Add the rum, carefully ignite and cook until the flames subside. Transfer to plates and serve with ice cream.