Greek One-Pan Pasta

I have one more Greek dish to share- for now. 🙂 I incorporated rotisserie chicken meat to make this a super-fast weeknight dish. The dill and lemon zest make it reminiscent of avgolemono. Cooking the pasta in chicken stock gives it wonderful flavor and adds creaminess to the finished dish.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I modified the proportions. Easy and great! We ate it warm but it would also be delicious served cold or at room temperature as a pasta salad.

Yield: Serves 6

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound fusilli
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• finely grated lemon zest, from one lemon (reserve some for garnish)
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds shredded rotisserie chicken meat
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

1. Combine stock, pasta, oil, lemon zest, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 3/4 cups water in a large straight-sided skillet. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.)
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, 9 minutes.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Continue to cook, stirring, until pasta is al dente and chicken is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes more.
4. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and dill. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
5. Serve immediately, topped with more lemon zest and dill, and a generous drizzle of oil.

Corn & Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

I love the first batch of zucchini in my CSA share- and finding new ways to enjoy it. The spicy, creamy, lime dressing in this dish was absolutely delicious. We are huge cilantro fans in my house so the fact that this dish was loaded with one of our favorite herbs made this dish a winner.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Kay Chun. I shaved the frozen goat cheese over the top, which was noted as the fancy chef tip in the original recipe. I think I would have preferred to have just crumbled cold (not frozen) goat cheese on top! Next time. 🙂

I’m bringing this festive summer side to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #128. My dish from Fiesta Friday #127 was a feature this week! Yay! Check it out and join the party.

• 3 ears of corn, shucked
• 1 pound small zucchini or summer squash, halved lengthwise (about 2 large)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (I used 1 medium shallot)
• 1/2 teaspoon guajillo or ancho chile powder
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro
• 2 ounces fresh goat cheese, frozen for grating or refrigerated for crumbling

1. Light a gas grill or heat a grill pan.
2. In a 9 x 13-inch pyrex dish or large bowl, toss the corn and zucchini with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill over moderate heat until charred and crisp-tender, about 10 minutes for the zucchini and 15 minutes for the corn.
4. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Cut 
the kernels off the corn cobs and coarsely chop the zucchini; set aside.
5. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well and spread the orzo out on a baking sheet; pat dry with paper towels.
6. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lime juice, shallot, chile powder and 1/2 cup of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper.
7. Add the orzo, corn, zucchini and the remaining chopped cilantro and mix well. Transfer to a platter or serving bowl.
8. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the frozen goat cheese all over the top and serve. (Alternatively, crumble cold goat cheese over the top.)

One Year Ago:

• Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Basil, & Ricotta
• Spaghetti with Corn Carbonara & Crab

Two Years Ago:

• Pesto Pasta Salad with Spinach, Peas, & Pine Nuts
• Silky Zucchini Soup

Three Years Ago:

• Mini-Farfalle Zucchini & Parsley-Walnut Pesto

Pasta Salad with Peas & Summer Beans

This dish is going to be the beginning of an appetizer and side dish extravaganza of belated posts I have been wanting to share. Perfect timing (I’d say!) right before the Fourth of July and the peak of cookout season. 🙂

I especially loved this pasta salad because it had an equal ratio of vegetables to pasta. It was super garlicky, without even modifying the original recipe, and fresh. I loved the use of whole wheat penne too.  This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I increased the peas and green beans and omitted the wax beans. We ate it with grilled salmon sandwiches but it would also pair well with grilled chicken or tuna. Nice!

Yield: Serves 8

• 8 ounces whole-wheat penne
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces haricots verts or green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
• 7 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced (2 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice (about 1 1/2 limes)
• 1 cup packed cilantro, finely chopped

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes.
2. Add beans; cook until pasta and beans are al dente, 4 to 5 minutes more.
3. Add peas and immediately drain. Run cold water over pasta and vegetables until completely cool; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
4. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic; cook, stirring often, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat; stir in lime zest and juice (it may splatter).
6. Add dressing and 3/4 teaspoon salt to pasta bowl; season with pepper. Toss with cilantro.
7. Adjust seasoning, if necessary, to taste.
8. Serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day.

One Year Ago:

• Pappardelle with Mashed Peas & Pecorino

Two Years Ago:

• Stove Top Pasta & Cheese

Three Years Ago:

• Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms & Bok Choy

Pesto Pasta Salad with Spinach, Peas, & Pine Nuts

Every summer we drive out to Montauk to spend the day with my friend and her family when they camp by the ocean for a week at Hither Hills State Park. She and her husband are such wonderful hosts. The amount of food they prepare is amazing!! This year I brought this flavorful pasta salad and oatmeal raisin cookies to contribute. Little did I know, her husband isn’t a pesto fan. 😦 I couldn’t believe it- so unfortunate. My friend was happy that I brought a pesto dish because she doesn’t serve it and she loves it- thank goodness! (her husband did enjoy the cookies…)

This recipe was adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!: Ideas and Recipes for Easy Parties that are Really Fun by Ina Garten. I reduced the amount of olive oil, mayonnaise, and Parmesan to lighten it a little. The spinach and lemon juice help to maintain the pesto’s green color. Tasty!

For the Pesto:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignolis ( pine nuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (I used 9 large cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 to 1 cup good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

To Finish the Dish:

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta or rigatoni
• 1 1/2 cups prepared pesto
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Make the Pesto: Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. (I found that I didn’t have to add additional oil; this recipe had enough olive oil that rose to the surface to coat it with a thin film.)
2. Cook the pasta separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and cool to room temperature.
3. Bring the frozen peas and spinach to room temperature. I place the defrosted spinach in a colander and squeeze out the excess water using a potato masher.
4. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

One Year Ago:

• Mini-Farfalle with Zucchini & Parsley-Walnut Pesto
• Basil Pesto & Tomatoes over Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta
• Cilantro Pesto