Ambitious Delicious(ness)

Somehow, I managed to cook a green meal the other day. I don’t mean green, as in environmentally friendly, but a monochromatic meal.

I made this delicious meal on the spot using some Thai basil, along with steamed Yu Choy vegetables as a side dish. I didn’t even realize how green my meal was until I took a photo. As we often eat with our eyes, it was not as aesthetically pleasing to look at, though it tasted really good.

Instead of a non-green colored produce for garnish, all I could find was a lonely walnut. So there it is. Maybe my meal would be more appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day? In any case, this would definitely fall under the category of “delicious weeknight meal in under 20 minutes.” (If you make the pesto in advance, even quicker!)

Recipe: Simple pesto pasta
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

4 oz. of boxed pasta (linguine)
1 cup of fresh basil (I used Thai basil)
1/2 cup of walnuts
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon of wild sesame seeds
4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
Pinch of salt

Procedure:

1. Bring 3 cups of generously salted water to a boil.

2. In a food processor(let’s pretend I have one), puree basil, walnuts, sesame seeds, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt.

3. Add pasta to water. Cook for 4-5 minutes for al dente.

4. In a pan over low heat, cook the garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, for about 2 minutes, just long enough to bring out garlic flavors. Add pesto mixture and stir around. Turn off heat.

5. Drain pasta. Add pasta to a big bowl and toss with pesto sauce using tongs.