Health knowledge made personal
  The other night I wanted a quick dinner, but I wanted it to not feel like it was quick. I boiled some water for pasta, made a quick pesto, and pan-seared some sliced summer squash with a touch of balsamic vinegar. I think this may be my new favorite way to enjoy them. It's fast and the perfect warming meal to start out the season of heavy cooked meals ahead. The pumpkin seed pesto is nothing new, but I had just enough pumpkin seeds left over that I wanted to use up, and I thought the idea of squash and pumpkin seeds together sounded like a good idea.  Later in the week I made this squash again and served it in between thick slices of tomato and mozzarella with crusty bread smeared with this same pesto. See what I mean about versatile. Pan-Seared Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pastaserves 4 for the pesto pasta (Pesto adapted from Gourmet)1 pound penne1 1/2 cups hulled green pumpkin seeds2-3 large garlic cloves, minced1/2 cup water1 cup tightly packed cilantro, roughly chopped4 scallions, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil juice of one lemon for the squash 2-4 small summer squasholive oilsea salt pepper balsamic vinegar Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. To make the pesto, heat enough olive oil, over medium heat, to make the surface of a skillet shiny. Toss in the pumpkin seeds, along with some salt and pepper to taste, and stir to coat. Cook until seeds are puffed and start to make a popping sound, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool. In a food processor pulse the seed mixture, water, cilantro, scallions, and olive oil until a course paste is formed, not finely ground. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl, add about 3/4 of the pesto and stir to combine. Add more if needed, otherwise store the pesto in the refrigerator for a couple of days. To make the squash, cut each into 1/4-inch slices. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over high heat. When it's hot add the slices to the pan and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Leave them for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Once golden, add in a splash of vinegar to the pan. It should bubble up and reduce to lightly coat the squash. Serve over the pasta or on the side immediately. |
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