I started this new year by making a promise to not eat obscene amounts of beef (like I do when I go back home and the first meal I request is braised beef shins, but I digress). When I'm here in etown I try to only eat turkey or chicken if I'm going to have meat at all, but I decided to one up myself! Now, I have 2 vegetarian meals a day. So far, so good.
This is my first attempt at a strictly vegetarian meal. It's loaded up on veggies so I'm not tempted to chop up kielbasa or some other cured sausage product and throw it in there, so yes: the vegetable to pasta ratio is like 50:50.
Pesto Pasta Salad
1 1/2 cup fusilli (I went badass and did regular pasta, not whole grain, but I've done the whole grain before and it works the same)
3 tablespoons pesto*
1 tablespoon oil (whatever you like to cook with)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cup vegetable medley of your choice (I did peas, carrots, and sweet corn)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used button but baby bellas would be nice)
1/4 roasted red pepper, diced
*I usually don't do the premade thing but sometimes its just more practical for my collegiate cooking to get things like premade pesto. If you want to make your own, please do! Alas I did not but the end product was still tasty.
Do it:
1. Boil a big ole daddy pot of water for the fusilli. That should be the first thing you do when you make pasta, before you even touch or wash any accoutrement for it. Maximize your utility minimize stove time. Is that my slogan now?
Use your peripheral vision and check to see when water boils. Salt the water liberally and add the fusilli. Cook according to directions on box.
2. While you wait for the water to boil get the vegetable medley ready. For example, if it is frozen, rinse and let drain.
3. Heat up a saute pan with the oil on medium heat. Maybe it's a wives' tale but I don't like to heat up my nonstick with nothing in it; I put the oil in first then that pan on the stove. When the oil is way hot, add the garlic. Let it get brown, obvi don't let it burn but let it get as close as your cooking anxieties allow. This is when you add the vegetables. Saute them around and add salt to taste if you like salt on your food (seriously, some people don't do salt). Transfer vegetables to a vessel of your choice.
4. In this same pan: take a look. Is there residual oil? If so, throw the pan back on the stove and put the mushrooms in! If not, add a few drops of oil, then put the pan on the stove and add shrooms. I like my mushrooms browned, so leave them in until this happens (on medium heat about 3-4 minutes). Once again, salt if desired.
5. If your timing is awesome, your pasta will be ready just about now. Whenever its ready: drain it.
6. In the minute it takes for pasta to drain, get your mixing bowl out. Spread the pesto around the inside of the bowl. Why? Because its easier to incorporate the thin layer of pesto into the pasta as opposed to a 3 tablespoon sized glob. Let's level here, its like putting the dressing at the bottom of the bowl pre-toss.
7. Toss in the HOT pasta (really, it needs to be as hot as possible for it to absorb the pesto goodness) till its nicely coated in the green stuff. Now add the vegetable medley, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper. If you hate the taste of pepper, leave it out. There is only a 1/4 of it for a reason.
8. Enjoy! Can be served hot or cold! Wow!
Suggestions: I eat this on a bed of kale when I'm feeling extra veg-head. If you are patient, it is one of those dishes (like curry) that tastes better the next day- perfect for packing a lunch or making one cooking sesh span multiple meals.
Comer!
HK
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