Tuesday, July 19, 2005

So What's for Dinner?

Having trouble with summertime dinners? Have no idea what to do with all that squash and zucchini that threatens to overrun your local market? And what about pesto? Here's something I threw together last night that might answer all those questions for you.

Ingredients
1 zucchini diced medium
1 yellow squash diced medium
1/2 vidalia onion chopped roughly
1/2 pepper (red or green) diced small
2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped (you can use the stuff in the jar if pressed for time)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of penne pasta
1/4 cup of fresh pesto (or store bought with no Parmesan added)
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Method

  1. Cook pasta according to directions. Set aside in colander, allowing it to thoroughly drain.
  2. Heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Saute until most of the moisture has been driven from the onion.
  3. Add squash, zucchini, and pepper. Saute for 5-10 minutes, based on how firm you like your veggies.
  4. Add pesto and feta and stir until combined.
  5. Add pasta and stir until completely coated.

Should make four servings with crusty bread and a salad.

Enjoy!

6 comments:

Joe said...

Mmmmm... interesting. And our basil plants are going gangbusters, so I think we'll be trying this.

Cook's Illustrated recommends salting your (raw) sliced squash and letting it purge for a while, like you would an eggplant. Removing some water seems to help it keep a firm texture while heating. Just a thought, depending on how you like your veggies.

tommyspoon said...

That's a good point. I don't do that as often as I should because I don't like salt on my squash. But I'll try that next time.

Speaking of squash: I had mushrooms and squash blossoms at Jaleo last week with Dad. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........

lemming said...

I tend not to like squash, but your recipe does sound good.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget grilling! I love zucchini and eggplant fresh off the barbecue.

Joe said...

Squash blossoms?? What does a squash blossom taste like? I'm intrigued.

There was a rose on top of my pecan pie at Stardust
in Alexandria a few weeks ago. They said it was edible, but I passed.

tommyspoon said...

What does a squash blossom taste like? Well, it has more texture than taste, but after an intense hit of squash-ness you are left with a delightfully soft and chewy experience. The blossoms were a nice counterpoint to the mushrooms they were presented with. I think the chef's idea was to give your mouth a bit of a break in between the mushrooms. Worked for me!

And yes, that rose would have been tasty. I know in VA that, by law, EVERYTHING you put on plate in a restaurant must be edible. When I was a chef, a customer sent back his dish because his endive (a typical garnish) was too gritty.

There's just no pleasing some people, I guess...