Summer Squash Pesto Pasta

Yesterday there were beautiful pattypan squash at the greenmarket, mostly full-sized (3-4 inches across), but there were a couple cute babies hidden admidst the adults. I was inspired by their lovely yellow smallness to pick up a handful for some sort of dinner, despite the fact that I tend to find summer squash rather boring. I had made some pesto and that, along with some lovely peppers of different colors and gorgeous grape tomatoes, formed a burgeoning dinner idea: fusilli with summer squash, roasted pear tomatoes, tri-color peppers and pesto.

This evening I implemented my squash plan. Water went on to boil, squash was sliced and set to rest with salt to remove some liquid, peppers were chopped, garlic sliced thinly, and pre-made ingredients pulled out of the fridge (pesto and roasted tomatoes).

I put olive oil into a heating pan, dumped the pasta in the water and began an 8 minute countdown to dinner. Of course it turned out slightly longer than that, but not much more. Overall, a decent way to serve squash. And very yummy other bits.

Summer Squash Pesto Pasta – 4 servings
Ingredients:

• your favorite (whole wheat) fusilli (4 servings worth)

• olive oil
• 4-6 baby pattypan squash, cut into quarters
• 1 small zucchini, cut into centimeter coins
• 3+ cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• 1/2 yello pepper, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 1/4 c. (or so) pesto
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil, add pasta to water and then add squash cut side down to the pan. Allow to cook without stirring until the first side is lightly browned.
2. Flip squash until all pieces have second side face down. Allow to cook briefly until beginning to brown.
3. Add garlic and stir.
4. Add peppers and stir, salting and peppering lightly.
5. Add white wine (will probably splatter) and then pesto. Stir to coat and allow to cook for a minute or two.
6. Remove pasta to strainer, remove veggies to pasta pot, rinse pasta and put in on top of veggies.
7. Add roasted tomatoes and cook down pasta sauce to desire consistency, then dump over pasta.

Serve with the bottle of wine* opened for the sauce, a slice of crusty bread and balsamic vinaigrette drassed salad with fresh grape tomatoes, cucumber and walnuts. Top with a dusting of parmesan.

*Note: my chosen bottle was a Tablas Creek 2005 Vermentino, which it turns out, is a lovely wine. We just received our Fall wine club shipment yesterday (our first!) and it’s fun to try wines that I haven’t necessarily chosen myself. This one is bright with plentiful acid, but not sour. The vintner describes the bouquest as “mineral, with notes of lavendar, pear and lime,” I actually caught a hint of coconut at the very end of the breath in. Taste included lime and green-apple most prominently. Very tasty.