Pesto Shrimp Bake with Squash and Tomatoes #30MinuteMondays

A quick summer casserole bursting with Italian flavors.

I know this is a totally blasphemous thing to say in the food blogging world, especially in the middle of summer, but I'm really not a fan of tomatoes. They've grown on me since I was a kid, when I wouldn't touch foods with them in it (including pizza, ketchup, and most of all anything involving raw or sundried tomatoes). I now really enjoy a good tomato sauce (like this bolognese or this garlic tomato sauce) and I'll dip into a fancy ketchup if it's got curry mixed in or something, but the appeal of raw tomatoes still largely eludes me.

My best experience so far has been with a couple of memorable caprese salads, including one at dbar, one of my favorite Boston restaurants, which is conveniently located just blocks from our apartment. A caprese salad with housemade mozzarella and tomatoes and basil from their rooftop garden was on the specials menu, and my mom and I had to try it. And, surprisingly enough, I didn't hate the raw tomatoes.

Pesto Frittata

I'm finished with the first week of my Whole30, and feeling pretty great.  You can see almost every delicious thing I've eaten over on Instagram--I've been having so much fun trying out new recipes and revisiting old favorites.  Doing a challenge like this really gets the creativity flowing!

So far I'm breezing through each day without craving any off-plan foods--I even survived a friend's birthday party last night without any serious yearnings for the cake, cookies, booze, or tortilla chips that everyone else was enjoying.  I sipped on seltzer with lime, snacked on mixed nuts, and felt pretty darn virtuous.

Squash Noodles with Everything Pesto (and an egg on top)

It has been a very long time since I've posted a recipe, and I'm hoping these squash noodles with everything pesto and a fried egg on top will at least partly make up for it.  Things have been busy at school, and it's getting harder and harder to blog often and stay on top of my readings and projects.  However, I am sure you do not want to hear about that.  I bet you'd rather hear about this brunch (dinner? lunch? midnight snack?) recipe that's paleo, grain-free, vegetarian, and ridiculously delicious.

I have to admit that I was unsatisfied with zoodles (zucchini + noodles = zoodles) for a long time, due mostly to unrealistic expectations.  Anyone who tells you that zoodles taste just like regular pasta is either totally lying or has a vastly different palate from mine.  You can't expect these to taste like linguine.

Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Cilantro Pesto

Do you like to read "day in the life" posts?  I loved this one on What's Gaby Cooking (the first food blog I ever read!),  saw this one recently on How Sweet It Is, and was inspired to write my own.  I think it's fun to get a peek into someone's daily routine.  Of course, if you don't, you can just scroll down for the recipe.

If you're still with me, here's the story of my Thursday!

I woke up late, around 9:30.  Since Ben works from home on Thursdays, he had made coffee.  I had mine with vanilla chai spiced ghee and a splash of cream, blitzed with my immersion blender.

In the kitchen, I briefly contemplated abandoning my cauliflower plans since I wasn't sure I had time to cook and photograph everything before class at noon, but I decided to go for it.  I had a gorgeous orange cauliflower from Whole Foods, so I had to take a few shots of it before chopping it up.

Penne with Cilantro Edamame Pesto

Have I mentioned how much I love pasta?  And pesto?  They are the best, and a great combination.  I'm into making pesto with whatever I have on hand, and experimenting with the colors and flavors I get from using different ingredients.  For example, the cilantro avocado pesto I made was great for a cool pasta salad.

This time, I used cilantro again (but you could also use basil) and added edamame for color and some extra protein.  The pesto ended up a beautiful shade of mint green.  And don't worry, it doesn't taste like pasta with soybeans.

You have to try this!  It's quick and satisfying, and I really can't get over the color!  Also, I'm sharing it at this week's Thursday's Treasures.  Go check out the great stuff everyone is posting!

Ingedients (serves 4-6):

1 pound penne or other cut pasta
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
3/4 cup olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided, plus extra for serving
Sea salt to taste
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Blanch the edamame by cooking it in boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender.  Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving one cup of the pasta water.  Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the edamame, garlic, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, cilantro, and a pinch of salt.  With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream.  Taste the pesto to see if it needs more salt.

When the pasta is done, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Stir in the pesto, and add pasta water as necessary to thin out the sauce.  Serve hot with additional parmesan for sprinkling.

Cilantro & Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad

I was planning to make guacamole for my party the other night, but at the last minute, I barely got the last batch of cupcakes into the oven before guests started arriving.  I think the party went fine without it, but I was left with several avocados and a big bunch of cilantro.  I thought about making the guacamole for me and Ben, but after my love affair with this queso, I wasn't in the mood for any more chips.

Then, I thought of a brilliant idea.  Cilantro and avocado pesto!  For pasta salad!  And this dish was born.

I think it's fabulous, and I hope you will, too!  You can make it in twenty minutes and it's the perfect color for a spring lunch or dinner.  You could definitely bring it on a picnic, too!



Ingredients (serves 4):

1 pound pasta (I used cavatappi)
1 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 large avocado, peeled and seeded
Juice of half a lime
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta (omit this for a vegan dish--it still tastes great!)
1 cup peas, cooked if frozen (I sauteed mine in a little olive oil for 5 minutes)
Salt and pepper to taste
More cilantro, scallions, and lime wedges for garnish

Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and run under cold water.

To make the pesto, blend the cilantro, avocado, and lime juice in a food processor.  With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth.

Toss the cooked pasta, pesto, scallions, feta, and peas together.  Garnish with additional cilantro and scallions and/or a lime wedge (or more feta--I was out).  Serve chilled or at room temperature.