Day One Sixty Nine - A fast, easy, and fresh Wednesday

Are there those nights that you come home from a long day at the office starved and worn out and in the mood for something delicious but just want it to be ready quick? I know I have them! And so I got to thinking that maybe I should start incorporating fast, easy, fresh recipes using some of my favorite ingredients into my musings here -- no twenty five step in depth culinary adventures, just a simple guide that's easy for even the novice chef to follow.


While at the Brattleboro farmers market this past weekend, I purchased a fantastic looking zucchini, a nice looking squash, and a skinny mini eggplant among other yummy fresh produce. So I got to thinking, what to make for dinner later on this eve and then this simple idea came to me -- a lovely salute to all of the fresh produce I bought.
 
Let's get going!
 
Ingredients:
 
Fresh Spinach Linguine (I like Raffetto's,** but most supermarkets offer their fresh version, if you don't have access to Raffetto's) Quantity to vary depending on how many people you are making this for
One large zucchini
One large summer squash
Half cup of pinenuts
2 cloves of garlic
A few sprigs of fresh oregano, diced finely
A little bit of chopped chives to brighten up the dish
A few leaves of basil (optional as topping)
Freshly grated aged Parmesan
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
 
1. Boil salted water for the pasta along with a pot of boiling water for the veggies.
2. While pasta water is boiling, slice thin ribbons (mimicking pasta strands) of the zucchini and summer squash. Once the water boils, drop those into the boiling water for one minute. Remove and run under cold water.
3. Toss the pasta in pot once water is boiling and let cook till al dente.
4. While the pasta is cooking, dice up the garlic very finely and toss in a saute pan with olive oil and the half cup of pinenuts. Saute until pine nuts are toasty and lightly golden brown.
5. Remove pasta and throw in bowl. Toss with the zucchini and summer squash ribbons, some extra virgin olive oil, your diced fresh oregano and chives, the sauteed pinenuts and garlic and mix together. Then top with freshly grated aged parmesan and a few sprigs of basil. I think the more aged the better here when it comes to the Parmesan, it will get nuttier, crumblier, and bolder.

Enjoy this with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc on this hot evening.