Pasta is not supposed to be complicated. I get so cranky when I see 40-step pasta recipes with 37 ingredients, all requiring elaborate prep. To me, pasta is all about getting a hot, tasty meal onto the table and into tummies as quickly and enjoyably as possible.

Enter this outstanding arrabiata recipe. Arrabiata’s name comes from the Italian word “arrabiato,” which means “angry,” a nod to this sauce’s fiery heat. Simple crushed chilies, (available inexpensively in the spice aisle or for free when you order pizza) get toasted in extra virgin olive oil and release their own oils, creating a hot and deeply flavorful sauce, along with garlic, onions and tomatoes. The cool, creamy goat cheese works like a raita alongside a hot Indian curry, cooling the palate with each spicy bite.

I love to make this dish with fire-roasted canned tomatoes (see note in ingredients list), since their smoky, charred flavor complements this sauce’s spiciness so nicely. This sauce also works very well over nutty whole wheat pasta (like the bucatini pictured).

The idea for these was born one warm summer evening when I attempted to take a pizza to the park for a picnic. Since I didn't have an actual pizza box to carry this on, I wrapped my freshly-cooked pizza in foil, tucked napkins and plates into my bag and hoped for the best. Sadly, the result was disappointing. The pizza flavors were good, but the 2-block schlep to the park was enough to wilt the toppings and smush the crust. I needed a better plan. Calzones, of course, were an option, but, though I love eating them at home, I foresaw their saucy insides splattered all over my pretty picnic blanket if I packed them along instead.

A few weeks later, I was rolling fresh cinnamon rolls for a weekend brunch, and it hit me: why not roll pizza toppings up in fresh dough a la cinnamon rolls, and then bake them into neat, portable spirals? They would feature the dough:sauce:topping ratio I like so much about pizza, but the handy portability of calzones, without the calzone's goopy, drippy insides. I couldn't wait to finish brunch to put my new gameplan into action.

The result, as I had hoped, was superb. These pinwheel pizza rounds that reslted were a neat, easily-transported pizza option. I decided to give my pizza picnic plan another go, so this time I packed a massaged kale salad, half of a roasted Third Date Chicken and a crisp bottle of rosé. I sat talking, late into the night with a friend, nibbling on this collection of yumminess. It was one of the best meals I've eaten all summer.

Creamy, slightly nutty goat cheese plays gloriously with fresh baby spinach. A dash of nutmeg (which is good with both dominant flavors) pulls it all together, and it's all presented in a pillowy package with a golden-brown exterior. 

I paired these absurdly easy but very impressive pasta pillows with some fresh tomato sauce, but they would also be good with some browned butter and seared chard--maybe even with some crumbled bacon on top.

This sandwich features wonderfully balanced flavors, a buttery-crisp exterior, creamy bites of just-tart-enough goat cheese and summer's sleeper-starlet, fresh figs. 

Figs, like tomatoes, remind me to live in the moment, enjoying their sensual juiciness (jeez, Gabi, 50 Shades of Grey, much?) throughout their short season while I can, since soon, it'll be back to fig jam for me. 

This sandwich features wonderfully balanced flavors, a buttery-crisp exterior, creamy bites of just-tart-enough goat cheese and summer's sleeper-starlet, fresh figs. I drizzle them with honey to really bring out their sweetness, but you could also opt for a really thick, aged balsamic vinegar. I found earthy, nutty whole grain bread to be an excellent vehicle for this sandwich's simple yet perfect filling, but sliced sourdough, sweet French or brioche/challah would be wonderful.

Last Thursday afternoon, Evan and I were laying on a blanket in a perfect sunny-shady compromise patch of grass in our beloved Dolores Park, when my phone buzzed. It was Rebecca, alerting me to some upsetting news about our friend Dena. She directed me to Dena's most recent blog entry. 

Dena, who is a mere 29 years old and one of the healthiest people I know, has been diagnosed with Stage 2/3 breast cancer. It is unbelievable. I gripped my phone, silent with shock, tears pooling in my eyes.

"What can I do?" Evan asked me gently.

I know that what he was asking was what could he do to comfort me, but as he said it, I realized that his question was really what I should be asking myself. What can I do? What can we as a community do? 

As it turns out, we can do a lot.

I worked together with Adam and Jordan to set up a GiveForward-operated fundraiser for Dena, whose treatment and quality of life expenses extend far beyond what her insurance covers. At the time of publishing this post, we've raised almost $8,000 of the $20,000 she needs. All day long, my iPhone buzzes, alerting me that another generous person has donated. I have no doubt that we'll reach our goal by the end of August, if not sooner. My faith in the power of community, as well as social media has never been stronger. It's amazing what a group of loving people can do with technology that makes giving and sharing incredibly easy.

Dena also let me know that her doctor has instructed her to put on weight in preparation for chemotherapy. The irony of this is not lost on my health-freak gym-rat friend, who has devoted the past decade to extraordinarly healthy eating and frequent exercise. But alas, she must do as she is told.

Which, obviously, is where I come in. This, I determined, was a case for mac and cheese, which I will augment with heavy cream and fancy aged cheddar. And cookies. She needs cookies. But not just any cookies.

She needs special cookies, made with love, and packed with all kinds of fat-and-calorie-laden yummers. So, to the bulk aisle I headed.

These crispy, flavor-loaded cookies are a riff on peanut butter cookies, except so much more awesome. I added shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and dark chocolate. They're full of good, healthy fats, but also extremely calorie dense, which Dena needs. And, even if you're not trying to put on weight, one or two of these would make for an excellent hiking/climbing take-along snack. 

Before I get to the recipe, I have two favors to ask of you. 

The first one is to please, please consider making a donation to our fund for Dena. The first major treatment she has to pay for out of pocket is in 2 weeks, and we really want to make sure it's well-covered.

The second thing--and I realize it may sound vague, but that's only because there is so much room for interpretation--is to look within your own life and your own community at ways that you can use your skills and talents to help other people or causes. One thing I'm learning now is that there are so many different ways to make the world a better place--and even the smallest courses of action count. 

What are your talents? What can you do?