Pasta

whole wheat pasta with butternut squash

October 15, 2010

Here’s a little meal inspiration for the weekend. Butternut squash is delicious beyond all reason. How can something be so naturally sweet and satisfying? It’s one of those foods that makes me all sorts of happy and amazed by what nature can produce. Just a little salt, pepper, and olive oil (or, conversely, brown sugar and syrup) and you have yourself the most perfect and simple of meals.

If you’re anything like me though, several rounds of that preparation and you’re ready for something a little different. As good and wonderful as it is in its simplicity, I tend to get a little bored by having it the same way all the time.

This meal is hardly a complicated departure. Think of it more as a serving suggestion! The inspiration comes from How to Cook Everything and again requires that I bow down to Mark Bittman for coming up with a recipe that so simply and perfectly melds flavours to produce something which tastes delicate and complex.

The dish doesn’t really require ingredients and directions to be written out, but for consistency’s sake, I will include those. If you’ve got a squash on your hands (or some sweet potatoes for that matter), may I mightily suggest you try this? The sweetness of the squash is balanced out by the nutty pasta and spicy pepper and garlic. Parmesan cheese compliments everything perfectly.

Healthy and hearty; it’s also quick to throw together in a pinch. I seem to be consistently running around like a headless chicken at the moment and this kind of thing is a great meal for those occasions. Amid the craziness, this meal made me remember to sit down, take a sip of wine, breathe, and enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Butternut Squash

adapted from How to Cook Everything

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
salt and pepper
1 pound whole wheat farfalle or other cut pasta
1 large handful fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste
Parmesan, for grating

Directions

Heat the oven to 400F. Put the potatoes in a roasting tin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil; toss to coat.

Roast the squash until brown on one side, about 10 minutes; stir and continue roasting until tender, another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta, according to package instructions, or until just al dente. Drain. Return pasta to pot and stir in baby spinach until it wilts.

Toss the squash with garlic and red pepper flakes, then toss with the cooked pasta, and remaining olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve immediately with grated parmesan.

weekend picnic inspiration

September 3, 2010

[source]

If you’re in need of some stay-at-home inspiration this Labor Day weekend then look no further!

For those lucky souls hitting the road for the holiday, check out the country’s most scenic farmers’ markets. Send us a postcard, won’t you?

Inevitably many of us will be staying close to home this long weekend and making the most of our home turf. Holidays at home don’t have to be boring though! No sirree. It’s pretty much the perfect time of year for a picnic, so grab a blanket and pack your basket.

First things first: you don’t need to go far! My ideal picnic spot would be a quiet patch by a lake or on the banks of the Mississippi. The local park would be ace too. So would my back yard, now that I come to think about it…

And, food?! I hear you cry? What about food, woman?! Well.

You’ll probably want to pack some garlic pita chips to snack on. Mmm, crunchy, garlicky goodness.

And then you’ll obviously need some hummus for dippage.

We can’t subsist on snacks alone though, can we? Oh no. You should probably put all those fresh, end-of-summer tomatoes to good use and make a big old bowl of pasta with cherry tomatoes and arugula. It’s just as delicious cold as it is warm and it travels well!

Not in the mood for pasta? Gosh. Picky, picky. Okay. What about lemon grain salad with asparagus, almonds and goat cheese? With some crusty bread on the side? You remembered the wine, didn’t you? Don’t forget the wine!

And if you aren’t feeling either of those options, how about just packing a baguette and some good cheese (don’t forget a good knife!) plus some olives for good measure. That is perfection on a stick to me.

Dessert! Don’t think I lost my mind and forgot dessert. I would never do that. For a picnic’s purpose, cookies are your friend. May I humbly suggest that you make some thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies? Or some fresh ginger cookies. I really think you’ll be happy you did.

Don’t forget a blanket, the crossword, a good book, and some great company. Annnnd you’re good to go!

Happy picnicking!

basil pesto

July 31, 2010

Oh holy garlic and olive oil and salt. Where have I been? Why has homemade pesto not been in my life for longer?! It is beyond all superlatives. But let’s try: creamy, fragrant, garlicky, salty, smooth, fresh, rich. Please go to your kitchen and make some now. It is worth every 10 of the minutes it will take you. It’s actually worth way more. I always loved eating “pesto pasta” when I was cooking for myself at uni but it was always obviously out of a jar. I don’t know many students who were whipping out their blenders. This just takes the biscuit. Homemade is what it’s all about!

Okay, I think there was something else I wanted to talk about. Oh yes…

So this year I got really bummed because I missed out on signing up for a CSA on time. Bah. We were organized-ish but when it came time to part with $350 all at once…well, it just wasn’t happening. Sad.

The alternative? The Farmer’s Market! You’ve been hearing about it all week and here’s why it’s brilliant. It may not be as fun a surprise as receiving a box of unique goodies each week, but a surprise it still is. And fun it definitely is.

You trot along maybe expecting strawberries, but guess what! You’re too late already! Better buy some snap peas instead because there’s a zillion of those suckers. I like that you get to support multiple farmers too. I try to spread the love at the market and never buy too much from one vendor. Wandering round the stalls, meeting the farmers and making what is essentially 100% impulse buys is my kind of good time.

I also love love love seeing what’s in abundance, going with the flow and just picking up what’s fresh.

So, farmer’s market, round three! After making blueberry crumb bars and zucchini and olive french breakfast cake, I was kind of on a roll. I have been wanting to try my hand at making pesto for a while and I thought I’d start out with an easy and simple version so that I have a basic foundation to build from. I recommend using this recipe as your starting point if you’ve never made pesto before – it’s super easy!

Basil Pesto

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

2/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
6 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves (almost a blenderful)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (if using immediately)

Directions

Wash basil leaves and pat dry.
In a food processor or blender, combine toasted nuts, basil leaves and garlic until well-combined. While machine is running, pour in olive oil in a slow, steady stream, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, stir in grated cheese. If freezing, spoon into an ice-cube tray for individual portions, or larger containers such as yogurt containers. To defrost, allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and stir in cheese.

I had some immediately with pasta and it made such a bloody delightful late evening summer supper that I am pleading with you to make this NOW. Like tonight. Go and find some basil and just do it. Don’t forget a cold glass of white wine! Perfect.

The rest of it I froze (without cheese) – to use again, simply thaw and add parmesan.

For other homemade ideas you might want to try:

> homemade tomato sauce
> homemade hummus

What jarred or store-bought thing have you made at home? Or what are you itching to try?