I’m undecided on this dish. There’s a whole lot of green, and a whole lot of crunch. There’s not much to it but veggies and pasta, and it’s tasty, but maybe nothin’ special. I will say that the second day, I reheated the dish in a pot with some veggie broth to make it more of a soup, and I definitely liked it better.
I am SO excited that I’ll be attending Stitch this weekend…there will be 75 vendors, plus a fashion show and music. I am hoping to find some fun jewelry, maybe some cool shirts, and random goodness. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this all year, so come Saturday, I’m going to be all giddy.
I got some new books at the library…I read most of Gael Greene’s Insatiable, which was interesting, but I found it difficult to make a connection with her. The memoir is all about her life of food and men and travel, but it just didn’t strike a chord with me. I did read all of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, though, in about an hour or two. It’s short and fun, and reminded me how much I loved mythology when I was younger. I took a mythology class in junior high, and was obsessed with it, falling in love with all the gods and goddesses and nymphs and naiads…I might have to revisit that soon, maybe by re-reading The Odyssey.
Now I’m reading What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke, and I’m loving it. It’s so easy to digest, but I find myself wanting to highlight things and make notes in the margins, so I think I’ll be adding this (and the second version) to my “to buy” list, along with On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. Food Science was definitely one of my favorite nutrition courses in college.
Now for the green.
Pasta with Broccoli, Edamame & Walnuts
- 3/4 pound chunky pasta (I used rotini)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups bite-sized pieces of broccoli
- Splash of white wine
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, oregano, thyme or marjoram (I used basil and Italian parsley)
- 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add the broccoli with about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta-cooking water and white wine, turn the heat to high, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the edamame, salt, and herbs. Continue to cook until the water evaporates and the broccoli is crisp-tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
When the pasta is done, drain it. In a serving bowl, toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the toasted chopped walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated cheese if desired.
Note: This may be better as a soup…maybe adding a couple cans of veggie broth to the broccoli mixture.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.
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