Well! What a week, full of ups and downs! I accepted a new job that I am so excited about! Don’t you worry, I have every intention of keeping this blog going but was feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of essentially working a full-time job while still keeping this “part-time hobby” going. I’ve had so much fun this summer with my DIY projects, remodeling and cooking and getting to share it all with you on this site but have been stressing about scheduling and juggling it all.
I put this aside for a bit as we traveled to Napa Valley last weekend for a beautiful family wedding and got to spend time with some of my husband’s family, such a great time! It was also there that I experienced my first big earthquake, as you may have seen on the news. Quite the eventful weekend. We returned home and I learned that one of my recipe posts, Parmesan Fritter Salad with Bacon Buttermilk Dressing, would be featured by the National Pork Board on their social media sites, a very cool thing for a new blogger like myself. I felt reinvigorated about the blog and confident that I could keep this thing going. At the end of this last week the website was down for a day and once it was back up and running, our internet decided to crash (possibly because I bumped the cords on the Wi-Fi router while I was painting…meh, what are you gonna do?) We are finally back up and running and I’m ready for a new week!
I made this pasta for dinner when we got back from Napa, after a weekend full of yummy food and lots of wine, our bodies needed a healthy meal. I don’t love pesto, I’m pretty sure it’s because of the pine nuts, so when I saw this recipe that used broccoli and pecorino rather than pine nuts and parmesan I had to give it a try. Of course, I substituted spaghetti squash for pasta noodles. I think on my next “pasta dish” I may give zoodles a try…any one tried that before? Anyway, this dish turned out to be delicious and I will most certainly make it again.
Broccoli & Pecorino Pesto Spaghetti Squash
Serves 2
For the spaghetti squash:
1 large spaghetti squash
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Using a large slicer or chef’s knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove and discard the seeds from the center of the squash. Rub the 2 halves of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until center is soft.
4. Once the squash is finished cooking, remove from the oven, turn it over and use a fork to remove the inside “noodles” from the squash.
For the pesto:
2 heads of fresh broccoli, florets removed from stems
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp grated fresh lemon rind
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup) plus more for topping
1. Steam the broccoli florets. This can be done in a vegetable steamer, in the microwave or my choice, in a stock pot fitted with a basket steamer. Microwave method would be to put florets into a bowl with about 1 1/2 inches water in the bottom and cook for approx, 5 minutes, until broccoli is soft. Stock pot method, fill stock pot halfway with water, bring to a boil, place florets in basket steamer, cover pot with a lid and steam for approx. 10 minutes.
2. Once broccoli is steamed, combine it with the remaining ingredients in a food processor, pulse until finely chopped. With processor on, add 3/4 cup warm water through the food chute until sauce reaches desired consistency.
3. Place sauce in a large bowl, add noodles, and toss to combine. Serve immediately topped with more shredded pecorino cheese and a few extra basil leaves.
*Original recipe from Cooking Light