This is the time of year to experiment with alternative pasta sauces. Sauces that aren't cooked, and can be prepared in a few minutes with a few ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta cooked al dente
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/3 extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 nutmeg, freshly grated
• black pepper, freshly ground
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. Combine cooked pasta, butter, and olive oil in a large bowl. Toss until the butter is melted and the pasta thoroughly coated.
2. Sprinkle the nutmeg and 3-5 grindings of black pepper over the top and toss well.
3. Top with the cheese and serve immediately.

Note: The pasta in this dish must be perfectly timed. You may want to pull it out just slightly before al dente. As you toss the pasta with the butter, oil, and spices, the pasta will continue to cook.

Nutmeg is a mild baking spice and is used in sausages, meats, soups, and preserves. In the US nutmeg is most often thought of as a spice for eggnog. Nutmeg is a popular spice in Italy, where it is used in mashed potatoes, sausages, pasta, vegetables, puddings, and stews. The nutmeg is the seed of the evergreen tree. The lacy outer shell of the seed is ground and used as the spice mace. I recommend that you buy whole nutmeg and grate it as needed. I use my regular, table cheese grater.