Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

When this recipe appeared in my inbox, I knew I wanted to make it for dinner.  This unique spin on pesto is the perfect recipe for asparagus season, when the grocery store is overflowing with bright green stalks.  I'm actually not a huge fan of traditional basil pesto, but this version is absolutely perfect.  The flavor is less assertive, slightly sweet from the asparagus and nutty from the almonds.  The roasted tomatoes add a great hit of acid to round everything out.


I forgot to add olive oil to the pesto while making it, and so I inadvertently ended up with a somewhat healthier pesto.  Feel free to add 3 T olive oil to the pesto while pureeing it if you like, but I found that the dish was plenty delicious without it - I just ended up adding a little extra pasta water to make the pesto loose enough to toss with the pasta.  The dish was fantastic, but didn't keep well in the fridge - leftovers were certainly edible, but nowhere near as tasty.  So, try to make just as much as you'll eat for dinner.

Asparagus-Almond Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 4

Kosher salt
3/4 pound trimmed asparagus
1 pint grape tomatoes
Vegetable oil
Heaping 1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 Tbs. finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
1 pound dried pasta
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with foil.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Put the asparagus on one baking sheet and the tomatoes on the other.  Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to combine.  Roast until the tomatoes are soft and starting to burst, and until the asparagus is slightly caramelized - about 10 minutes for the tomatoes and 15 minutes for the asparagus (depending on size).  Shake the pans a couple of times during roasting.
3. Place the almonds in a large non-stick pan over high heat.  Toast until golden in spots, stirring or shaking the pan often.
4. When the asparagus is done, cut off the tips and reserve.  Combine the asparagus stalks, toasted almonds, basil, and Parmesan cheese.  Puree with either a food processor, blender, or hand blender until slightly chunky.
5. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until done.  Reserve a cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta.
6. Combine the pasta and pesto, along with enough pasta water to create a loose sauce.  Gently toss in the roasted tomatoes and asparagus tips.  Serve, seasoned with salt, freshly ground pepper, and additional Parmesan cheese.   

Ratatouille Lasagna

This veggie-packed lasagna is a fun twist on a typical vegetarian lasagna, while still being familiar enough to qualify as comfort food.  Fresh pasta is layered with roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, and fresh herbs, and then topped off with mozzarella and Parmesan.  I particularly liked the addition of so many fresh herbs - the mint in particular added a really unique flavor that paired perfectly with the roasted veggies.  The lasagna is also fairly spicy thanks to the dried chile flakes - I was actually pretty surprised how far the small amount of chile flakes went (or perhaps we simply had a particularly spicy batch).  In any case, if you aren't a fan of spicy, you should leave these out; personally, I loved it! 

You'll definitely want to set aside an evening when you have a bit of time to make this recipe, as it has lots of different steps. But, I think it's well worth the time investment, and the leftovers do keep very well in the fridge, like most baked pasta dishes.  I recommend using a food processor to do most of the chopping if you have one. It can be used to slice the eggplant, zucchini, pepper, and onion, and also to grate the cheese.  Although this is still a fairly involved recipe, this step will at least cut down on the prep time a bit.

One other thing to note about this recipe - the original recipe claimed this was a "lighter" version of lasagna and that a pan would serve only 4 people, but we definitely did not find that to be the case.  Although there is less cheese than your typical lasagna, the final dish seemed pretty much just as hearty to me as the normal vegetarian lasagna that I make (although maybe my normal lasagna is lighter than most); we also got at least six servings out of the pan.

Ratatouille Lasagna (adapted from Serious Eats)
Serves 6

7 T olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp dried chile flakes
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 pound eggplant, sliced into 1/8 inch  to 1/4 inch rounds
3/4 pound zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch  to 1/4 inch rounds
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 large red onion, thinly sliced
12 cloves garlic, in their jackets 
Salt and pepper
28-ounce jar marinara sauce
3 sheets fresh pasta (or enough smaller sheets to make 3 layers of pasta in your baking dish)
6 sundried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped 
1/4 cup water
15 leaves fresh basil
10 leaves fresh mint 
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, grated
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line two half sheet pans with foil.
2. In a large bowl, toss together 6 T olive oil with the chili flakes and herbes de Provence.  Add the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and garlic and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide the vegetables between the two baking sheets, in a single layer as much as possible.  Roast until softened and beginning to brown, 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  Peel the garlic and mash slightly with a fork.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
4. Assemble the lasagna in a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half a cup of marinara sauce in the bottom, and then top with a layer of fresh pasta (trimming as necessary).  Top with another 1/2 cup sauce.  Top with half the vegetables in an even layer.
5. Add another layer of pasta and top with another 1/2 cup of sauce.  Top with the chopped sun dried tomatoes, the remaining vegetables, and about a third of the shredded cheese.
6. Top with the final layer of pasta, followed by the remaining marinara sauce.  Add the water to the marinara jar, shake, and pour over the lasagna.  Gently press everything down to ensure that all the pasta is coated in liquid.
7. Top the lasagna with a layer of fresh herbs, followed by the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
8. Bake 30 minutes, and then remove the foil from the lasagna.  Turn the oven up to 450 degrees.  Bake another 5 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, and Lemon Zest

When I first saw this pizza on Technicolor Kitchen, I knew I had to make it - the combination of flavors just sounded so good!  The pizza definitely did not disappoint.  Briny artichokes, rich buffalo mozzarella, and bright fresh basil go perfectly together, but it's the lemon zest that really takes this pizza over the top.  I don't think I would have come up with the idea of lemon zest on pizza on my own, but it's actually a perfect flavor booster.  Since you're using zest instead of juice or slices, there's no added tartness, but the zest adds an amazing lemon-y scent to the whole pie.  One word of warning with this recipe - since some of the ingredients are rather 'wet' (especially the melted cheese since buffalo mozzarella is much wetter than regular), you'll want a medium-thick crust for your pizza instead of a super thin one, so plan accordingly and use a very thin layer of pizza sauce to avoid a soggy pizza.

Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, and Lemon Zest (adapted from Technicolor Kitchen, original recipe here)
Makes 1 pizza

Pizza dough for one pizza (such as this recipe from Martha Stewart)
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 ball buffalo mozzarella, very thinly sliced
8-10 marinated artichoke heart quarters
Finely grated zest of one lemon
A few basil leaves, julienned

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and grease a pizza pan.
2. Shape the pizza dough into a circle and place on the pizza pan.  Spread with a thin layer of tomato sauce (as thin as possible).  Scatter the mozzarella, artichoke hearts, and lemon zest evenly over the pizza.
3. Bake until the crust is cooked through and browned on the bottom, and the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the basil leaves.

Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde

I was looking for a quick and tasty dinner while riding the train with the most recent copy of Bon Appetit.  Luckily the magazine delivered with this fantastic steak recipe.  If you have a grill, of course feel free to go for it (although I imagine that would up the prep time somewhat), but you'll also get excellent results with a grill pan set over high heat on the stove, which is what we used.  The steak is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled, and then topped with a super-flavorful herb-lemon-garlic mixture called salsa verde.  This is a great recipe for using up fresh herbs that you have around the house, and I can imagine that lots of combinations would be very tasty - I used parsley, mint, and tarragon with great results.  The original recipe does note that parsley should be one of your choices for the best flavor, so keep that in mind. 

The salsa verde is easy to prepare, but does take half an hour to marinate, so plan on starting that component first, then prepping your side dish, and finally grilling up the steak.  We served the steak with roasted green beans, and I think most green vegetables would pair well with the juicy steak and fresh herbs. Do be sure to serve the steak with extra lemon wedges for squeezing over - the extra acid really made the dish pop.

Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 2

2 T olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs (I used a combination of parsley, mint, and tarragon)
Vegetable oil
3/4 pound skirt steak, trimmed
Lemon wedges

1. Mix 1 T olive oil, the garlic, and the lemon zest in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Add the herbs and stir until coated.  Let marinate 10 minutes.  Stir in the remaining olive oil, taste, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Set a grill pan over high heat and let sit for a few minutes until hot.  Brush with oil.
4. Season the skirt steak with salt and pepper.  Grill 2-3 minutes per side for medium rare.  Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
5. Slice the meat against the grain, on the diagonal.  Spoon the salsa verde over and serve with lemon wedges.

SRC: Oatmeal Jam Bars

For this month's installment of the Secret Recipe Club, I was paired up with Amy of A Little Nosh.  I knew right away that I wanted to try her oatmeal jam bars, because I have so much jam that I canned last summer and still haven't managed to consume!  I think I might need to make smaller batches this year since I do love to try lots of different kinds of jam!  In any case, my surplus jam situation certainly makes for a good excuse to make baked goods with jam in them, such as these tasty oatmeal jam bars.  An oatmeal crumble is pressed into the pan to form a crust, topped with jam, and then more oatmeal crumble goes on top.  So easy - the recipe took maybe 10 minutes to prep, plus baking time - and so delicious!  This is definitely a winner - perfect to take to a summer barbecue or to snack on during one of these lovely, warm afternoons we've been having lately.

Oatmeal Jam Bars (adapted from A Little Nosh, original recipe from Rachel Ray)
Makes on 8x8 square pan

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 2 T brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
6 T unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup jam (I used strawberry-black pepper jam)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line an 8x8 pan with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cardamom.  Cut in the butter.  Mix in the rolled oats with your hands until the mixture is relatively uniform with some chunks of butter remaining.
3. Tip about 2/3 of the mixture into the prepared pan.  Press down with your fingers to create a crust.  Evenly spread the jam over the crust.  Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the jam.
4. Bake 25 minutes or so until the oats begin to brown.

Previous recipes of mine featured on SRC

Orange Chocolate Macaroons

Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cakes

Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies

Steak au Poivre
Pear Spice Bread
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens
Pear-Pecan Spice Bread
World Peace Cookies
Valencia Orange Curd
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pineapple-Cucumber-Avocado Salsa

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Tim and I celebrated last night with homemade fish tacos, but I didn't manage to get a good photo, so I'm sharing this tasty salsa instead.  The recipe was originally for a guacamole, but we didn't think the amount of avocados specified really made for a dip that felt like guacamole - rather, avocado is more of a minor player along with tart pineapple, crunchy cucumbers, and spicy chiles.  We enjoyed it this way, but you could also double the avocados if you'd like them to be more prominent.  This delicious and unique salsa will definitely make any Cinco de Mayo celebration special - we ate it with chips, but I think it would also be fantastic over grilled chicken or fish. 

Pineapple-Cucumber-Avocado Salsa (adapted from Truly Mexican)
Makes about 5 cups

10-ounce cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 jalapeno chiles, minced
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 tsp fine salt
2 large avocados
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, divided

Stir together the cucumber, onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt.  Cut the avocado into chunks, and gently stir into the other ingredients (do not mash).  Gently stir in the pineapple and half the cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, and chiles to taste.  Serve sprinkled with remaining cilantro. 

French Carrot and Fennel Salad

This salad is super easy and tasty - my favorite combination! I love the bright orange carrots paired with fennel for the ultimate crunchy salad. The garlic and lemon give the salad bold flavor, and the parsley and fennel fronds add a green, herb-y punch that pairs perfectly with the veggies.  The salad is best cold, and will keep in the fridge for several days, making it a great make-ahead lunchbox option.

French Carrot and Fennel Salad (adapted from La Tartine Gourmande Cookbook, via Steamy Kitchen)
Serves 4


1 bulb fennel
3 large carrots
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 heaping T minced fennel fronds (from the top of the fennel bulb)
1 heaping T minced fresh parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced 
Salt and pepper, to taste


1. Trim and core the fennel bulb and thinly slice either on a mandoline or by hand (I sliced mine 3/16" thick on a mandoline because I like some crunch, but you could also shave them thinner depending on your preference).  Trim, peel, and grate the carrots.  Place the veggies in a large bowl.
2. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, fennel fronds, parsley, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tightly fitting lid.  Screw on the lid and shake until well combined.  Taste and adjust for seasoning.
3. Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to combine.  If the salad looks a bit dry, add more oil and toss to combine.  Taste and adjust for seasoning.  
4. Chill well before serving.