Pasta Primavera

I looooove Pasta Primavera. And although the name technically implies that you eat it in the spring, it's the perfect summer meal for me. I first had it in a little Michigan town while on vacation with my parents when I was 15. It was the middle of summer and the pasta just screamed out with all the flavors of the season. I think I spent the rest of my teenage years trying to recreate it. I got close a few times, but they always came out too greasy and not very flavorful.

Fast forward to my bridal showers 8 years later. I got this cookbook as a gift from one of my Mom's oldest friends and I immediately knew I'd found the perfect recipe for Pasta Primavera! It's great served immediately, but I think it gets better the next day. I like to eat it straight out of the refrigerator for lunch. Yum.

Pasta Primavera
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis 
1 large zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red pepper
3 carrots
2 small onion, slice onion into thin strips
4 cloves garlic, smashed and copped in half
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1 lb penne
3/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cut vegetables into 2 inch strips. Cover in olive oil, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to evenly cover the vegetables. Spread evenly onto two baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring after the first 10.

Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Pour pasta into large serving bowl and add vegetables. Add cheese and stir to combine, using remaining pasta water to thin the pasta if necessary. Top with more Parmesan cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Basil Pesto with Garlic Scapes

Is there anything better than a really good pesto? One that's loaded full of garlic and tastes like it just fell out of the garden onto your plate? OK, so maybe there are a few things that are better than a delicious pesto. But not many. I looooves me some good pesto.

When I saw the big bunch of basil in the last CSA share (from last week... I know, I'm behind) I knew I had to make some pesto. I added a little more basil from our garden to give it that extra punch. I also used some of the garlic scapes from the last share because we had them on hand. If you don't like your pesto to be super garlicy, then either use less garlic or cook it down a little bit to release some of the harsh garlic flavor. But in my oh-so-unprofessional opinion, more garlic can only make something better. Please imagine Homer Simpson saying "Mmmmmm Beer" but replace the beer with garlic. That's what's going through my head right now. Yum.



Basil Pesto with Garlic Scapes
1 bunch Basil
1/4 cup toasted Pine Nuts
2 Garlic Scapes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4-1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Toss the basil, pine nuts, and garlic scapes into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. With the processor running, drizzle in enough olive oil so that the pesto becomes thinner, but not runny. Remove to a medium size bowl and mix in the parmesan cheese.

Some ways to enjoy your fresh pesto: with pasta, on toasted pieces of french bread, with a spoon, or my personal favorite on freshly make gnocchi.

Enjoy!