"Cook of the Week" Becky Hollingsworth

Becky Hollingsworth lived in Harrison for most of her life, before trading the Ozarks for the taller mountains of Colorado — where she now lives with her partner, Josh. The couple share their home with an adopted one-eyed senior rescue dog named Luna.

Hollingsworth earned her associate's degree at North Arkansas College and later earned a bachelor's degree in nonprofit studies at Metropolitan State University in Denver, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Her experience at Northark provided a good springboard to earning her bachelor's. "Metro is organized very similarly to Northark, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much my time at Northark had prepared me to excel at Metro State," said Hollingsworth.

Northark classes also provided Hollingsworth with the support and encouragement she needed to pursue her personal interests. "Dusty Domino was probably sick of me taking every available art class," she joked. In Colorado, Hollingsworth has combined her love for art with another love — snail mail, combining the two into a creative entrepreneurship. "Two things I love are art and snail mail, so I am currently developing a small handmade greeting card business called Dear Chizuko," shared Hollingsworth. "It is dedicated to my grandmother, Chizuko — who always sent me beautiful cards in the mail every year."

Hollingsworth has learned to be creative in the kitchen as well, "Decades ago I found a recipe for spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and basil, which is still one of my favorite things to make. It's easy to prepare and tastes like summer. I lost the original recipe but have since developed my own version."

One ingredient she lists when asked which are essential to always have on hand is butter. "It's excellent for sauteing, roasting, or spreading on toast," said Hollingsworth.

Her favorite thing to cook is roasted vegetables. "They can be a component in a more complicated dish or they make a simple side," she explained. "You can chop up almost any veggies you have lying around, then add a little melted butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper to your veggies on a pan and stick 'em in the oven. Smoked paprika and a dash of cayenne pepper is my favorite addition, but simply the process of roasting will make most vegetables delicious. I love to experiment with them."

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

1 - 16 oz package of spaghetti noodles

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large tomato or several roma tomatoes — chopped, or a package of cherry tomatoes — sliced into halves

1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped

1/2 to 1 cup of black olives, sliced into thirds or fourths (I think they taste better than the pre-sliced olives)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded, plus more for serving

salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare spaghetti noodles as directed on packaging.

While water is heating or noodles are cooking — chop garlic, tomato, basil, and olives. Grate parmesan, if needed.

After noodles are drained, they can be added back into the same large pan they were cooked in (less dirty dishes) or a large mixing bowl.

Toss together all remaining ingredients.

Add salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind if adding the salty ingredients like black olives and parmesan less salt may be needed.

Note - This recipe is endlessly customizable. Add your favorite protein - chicken would probably go well with this. (I like to add a can of white beans.) Use your favorite pasta. Canned tomatoes can be added if you don’t have fresh ones. Add additional summer produce. Use dried basil in place of fresh. Use another kind of olives, or add capers if you don’t like olives. You can sauté the garlic and tomatoes if you like. (I love them fresh and I like having fewer dishes to wash.) Make it your own, experiment, and have fun!