Vegetarian Pasta & Veggie Toss

We are settled in our new apartment, tucked in the pinoned hills north of downtown Santa Fe. Free from tourists and traffic. We are regrouping. After two months in our in-town casita with a small but workable kitchen I am cooking on one of those closet-size kitchenette units, feeling like a college student as I season my short grain brown in my single pot and stack boxes of tea on a side table.

We brought only the bare essentials with us; the rest of our life is boxed and wedged in rows in a storage unit south of town.

The morning sky is pale pink in the cool desert air. Soon it will be blue and sharp against the hills patterned with juniper shadows in high contrast and edges that shimmer with heat. I am practicing detachment and paying attention to the appearance of butterflies and startling gusts of wind and crows with food in their beaks but my body isn't cooperating. My stomach refuses homage to the Zen infused lessons of going with the flow. I sleep with eyes closed in this unfamiliar room, vigilant to every tiny sound. I miss painting. And cooking food other than fast food. I miss my Cuisinart and homemade pesto. I miss my books.

Soon. Soon there will be good news.

Pesto Pasta & Vegetable Toss

This toss-together dish is a simple pasta and vegetable combo. Nothing fancy. Homemade pesto always elevates the ordinary to extraordinary. Kinda like love.

10-12 oz. dry pasta- we used Tinkyada Pasta Joy Brown Rice Spirals
extra virgin olive oil
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed, cut to bite size
1 medium or 2 small summer squash, sliced into half moons
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
A modest splash of balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
A handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Our Favorite Basil Pesto or Cilantro Pesto de Esteban

To serve:

Fresh herbs and/or Parmesan, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta until it is al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a little olive oil in a skillet and throw in the cut green beans and squash. Stir the veggies and cook until they are starting to turn a bit golden around the edges.

Add the garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Shake the pan and lower the heat. Keep the veggies tender-crisp and don't over-cook. Just before draining the pasta, toss in the tomatoes.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and pour into a clean bowl.

Add the pesto and gently mix it in until the pesto coats the pasta. Add the pan of vegetables and lightly combine everything.

Serve at once with a garnish of fresh herbs and some shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4.


Cook's Note::

• Make this dish vegan with a pesto using non-dairy "Parmesan".

• Add any other garden fresh veggies you like- sliced mushrooms or bell peppers, broccoli florets or thin asparagus spears.
  

• Add a can of drained red kidney beans or chick peas for protein.