Shrimp & Grits

Another gem from September's issue of Bon Appetit. Anyone who knows me knows that a) I love shrimp, b) I love grits and c) I'm from the South (I guess you could probably tell that after reading "b)"). What better way to showcase them both than by putting them together? It's magical - and it's one of the most deliciously satisfying meals in the history of food. Seriously.

Shrimp & Grits
(Loosely adapted from September 2011's Bon Appetit)

1 cup yellow grits (not instant)
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar 
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1/4 cup fat free half & half (yes, it does exist and it's yummy)

2 links TJ's andouille chicken sausage, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
4 or 5 garlic cloves ('cause who's counting?), diced
1 tbsp butter
16 large shrimp (about 1 lb), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup(ish) of beer
1/4 cup low-salt chicken stock


Bring 4 cups water to a simmer in a large sauce pan. Gradually whisk in grits. Turn heat to low; gently simmer until grits begin to thicken, whisking occasionally to loosen the grits on the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in cheese, butter and jalapeno, then half & half. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add oil, then add sausage when oil starts to shimmer. Saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and 1 tbsp butter; stir until butter melts. Saute garlic for 2 minutes, then add shrimp and continue to saute for 30 seconds to a minute. Add beer, then chicken stock. Simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heap 2 (or 3 or 4) generous ladles full of grits into each bowl, then top with lots of shrimp and sauce. I can't really call the sauce "gravy" since it is so runny, but the flavor is excellent. Next time we make this recipe, I'm going to turn up the heat and add flour to the butter/garlic/sausage mixture to thicken it into a roux before I add the shrimp, beer and chicken stock. We'll see how that turns out.

Roast Chicken with Tunisian Potato Turnovers and Curried Lentil Soup

We had some friends over for dinner last night. One of my go-to dinner party entrees (okay, who am I kidding, it's one of my most frequently prepared entrees) is roast chicken. Unless you're a vegetarian, it's bound to be satisfying in the most innocuous way, and it's a great complement to almost any type of cuisine - Italian, Mexican, Indian, or in this case, Tunisian(ish). I prepared some potato turnovers and Mike made one of our other favorites - curried lentil soup - as sides.

Tunisian Potato Turnovers
(from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)

2 cups of potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 garlic cloves (or 5, or 6)
3 tbsp of plain nonfat yogurt
2 tsp ground caraway seed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
salt to taste
3 tbsp scallions, chopped
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 package Fillo dough
3-5 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the potatoes, sweet potatoes and garlic in water to cover until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and thoroughly mash them by hand with the yogurt, scallions, caraway, coriander, cumin, cayenne, lemon juice and salt until very smooth. Add more salt to taste.

Prepare a baking sheet with a light coating of cooking spray. Set aside near your work area.

Place the filling, filo, oil, a pastry brush and a clean damp towel on the counter top within easy reach. Unfold the stack of filo and in one smooth motion, remove a sheet and place it flat on the counter top with one of the short sides nearest you. Brush it lightly with olive oil. Working quickly, add a second and then a third sheet, oiling each lightly. Cover the remaining stack of filo with the damp towel as you work to prevent it from drying out and becoming brittle.

Cut lengthwise through the three oiled sheets to make three strips. Place two rounded tablespoons of filling on each strip, one near the bottom and one about a third of the way up. With a table knife or the back of a spoon, spread the filling to thinly cover the bottom half of each strip. Fold the lower left corner up and over diagonally so that the bottom edge is aligned with the right side. Fold straight up and then to the left. Continue to fold as you would a flag to make a small triangular pastry. Place each triangle on the baking sheet.

Repeat three more times until all of the filo and filling has been used and you have 16 turnovers. Brush the tops with any remaining oil.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

Jeremy and Kendra both seemed to enjoy the meal and did mildly rave about the lentil soup. After dinner we started watching Gone With the Wind, but only made it through the first act. We'll be heading over to their place later this week to let them cater us a meal and to finish the epic movie.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

My last attempt at making meatballs went so well, I just had to do it again. I did not try using any sriracha this time as it wasn't distinguishable in the last attempt and I added half of our chopped mushrooms to the meat mixture and sauteed the other half with the onions, garlic and carrots.

Brit sauteed some zucchini and squash until they were soft and we added them on top of the entire dish with the Parmesan cheese garnish. As usual, it was delicious and we kept eating it for several leftover lunches.

Baked Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil

The last two issues of Bon Appetit have been chock full of celebrity cameos and largely devoid of appealing recipes. A harsh statement, I know, but for some reason it just felt like I was reading Marie Claire with chefs. So, needless to say, we were very excited when this month's Bon Appetit had not one, but several great recipes for us to try. The first is this delicious baked fish dish - boy is it a hit.

Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes & Basil
(adapted from the September 2011 issue of Bon Appetit)

1 lb. ripe tomatoes, quartered
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
handful of basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 6 to 8 oz boneless tilapia fillets (the original recipe calls for flounder, but TJ's has a limited frozen fish section)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss first 5 ingredients in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer.

Bake tomato mixture for 8 to 10 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper. Arrange fish in a single layer over tomato mixture. Roast fish with tomato mixture until a knife is easily inserted in the center, about 10 minutes.

We served this dish with rice and a veggie side. The tomato mixture and the drippings were delectable, and this was such a quick and easy dish to make!  

Chicken Salad Wraps

Brit subscribes to Food Network Magazine and some time ago she found Emeril Lagasse's Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs recipe which looked really good. The original recipe called for removing the pit from a halved avocado and spooning the chicken salad into the middle. That idea sounds fantastic, but we decided to make to make sandwich/wraps instead.

Chicken Salad

Serves 4

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we used meat from a whole chicken that Brit roasted)
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking the chicken if you don't already have leftover meat)
1 cup mayo
1-2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp dijon mustard (the original recipe called for 1 tsp, but that is barely anything. Trust me, the extra dijon mustard really makes this dish great)
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
3/4 red onion, diced
3 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (we use parsley, but tarragon is also recommended)
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

Since we used leftover meat from a whole chicken roaster, we tore up the meat into small, bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, mix the meat, mayo, garlic, mustard, celery, celery leaves, celery seeds, red onion, herbs, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

We then added the mix to some leftover tortilla wraps with some pieces of cheddar cheese and heated it up in the microwave until the cheese was melty. Om nom nom!

Chicken and Refried Bean Fajitas

I saw a fajitas recipe on the Closet Cooking blog and got inspired. Brit and I love making any sort of Tex-mex dish and put together an easy recipe for us to try.

Fajitas

Whole wheat tortillas
1 can refried beans
Salsa
Sour cream
Brown rice
Avocado, sliced
Chicken slices (we used pieces of meat from a whole chicken that Brit had recently roasted)
Bell pepper, sliced
Onions, diced
1 tomato, diced
Lemon juice
Jalapeno pepper, minced
Salt
Pepper

Heat up the refried beans with a few scoops of salsa. Also use a few scoops of sour cream, if you don't forget to include it, like I did.

Saute the bell pepper with half of the onion and set aside.

Make a pico de gallo with the remaining onion, tomato, lemon juice, jalapeno pepper, salt and pepper.
Heat up the tortillas in a skillet with some non-stick spray and assemble the fajita.

Put down a layer of refried beans, rice, chicken, pico de gallo, avocado, salsa, and sour cream.
Try your best to eat with grace, but just give in, cut it all up with a knife, mix it together into a tex-mex mush, and enjoy.

Grilled Ham, Cheese, and Pickle Sandwiches

Every now and then I see a recipe that I know isn't healthy for me, but I really can't resist. I was able to convince Brit as well, and the resulting dinner was so worth it. We'll have to run extra hard for the rest of the week to burn off these calories...

Grilled Ham, Cheese, and Pickle Sandwiches
(Originally from Epicurious.com)

4 slices of bread
1/4 cup mayo
Curry powder
Low-fat mozzarella cheese slices (basically, the really tasty, melty cheese singles)
2 oz. goat cheese (we used a garlic and herb chevre that we get from our farmer's market)
Bread and butter pickles
Smoked ham slices (surprisingly, these had less sodium and cholesterol than the smoked turkey)
2 tbsp butter

Brit wanted to do something more interesting with the mayo, so she mixed in a little curry powder. The result was an excellent addition to the sandwich that blended really well with the flavors of the cheese and meat.

Generously spread the mayo on 4 slices of bread. Layer 2 slices with 2 cheese slices each. Cover the cheese with a layer of pickles. Cover the pickles with a few small pieces of goat cheese. Add a slice of ham, some more goat cheese, another slice of ham, and then another layer of cheese singles. Assemble the sandwich and generously butter the both pieces of bread.

Heat up a pan or skillet on medium heat. Spray the pan with non-stick spray and add the sandwich when it is hot. Cook until the bottom is nicely browned and flip. Cook some more until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melty. Serve hot with a bowl of tomato soup.

Scallop Crudo

This recipe comes from the Bitten Word blog and was originally printed in the August 2011 issue of Bon Appetit. The title was intriguing, the picture looked delicious, and the description clinched the deal. We served this dish with a side of brown rice, seasoned with zatar, and some steamed broccoli and roasted cauliflower.

Scallop Crudo
(Modified from a recipe found on the Bitten Word blog)

Serves 2

1/4 cup orange juice
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tbsp lemon olive oil (was supposed to be sunflower oil)
1 tbsp finely minced ginger
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar + 1 tsp sugar (this was a substitution for sherry vinegar)
1/2 lb scallops (we got ours fresh from Seafood Unlimited)

Whisk together all of the ingredients except the scallops. Add the scallops and marinate for 10-15 minutes. Eat!

The crudo is really amazing and we used it as a sauce for the rice and veggies. The scallops were so soft and delicious; this dish was fantastic.

Summer Vegetable Soba

Brit and I used to make a soba noodle dish with asparagus, garlic, prosciutto, parmesan cheese and a fried egg. It was incredible. We made this dish several times until one time the leftover soba noodles tasted like ass. It was just awful. I had a suspicion it occurred because we had purchased a new brand of soba noodles and that the original brand would be fine. Nonetheless, Brit had lost her desire to eat this dish.

Recently, I came across a recipe in on of the food blogs that I follow that utilized soba noodles again. I've been craving/missing soba noodles for a while, so I approached Brit about giving the recipe a try. Brit agreed to give it a try with the original brand of soba noodles and we're all crossing our fingers that the leftovers turn out well.

Summer Vegetable Soba
(Originally posted on the Macheesmo food blog)

Serves 4

1 12 oz package of soba, cooked according to package
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cups green beans
1 onion, diced
2 ears corn, corn removed from cob
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
2 scallions, only greens
Fresh basil, chopped
Peanuts, chopped
Sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 jalapeno pepper, minced without seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches ginger, minced

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, drain, and return to pot. Toss with the sesame oil and set aside.
Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Meanwhile, saute the onion, pepper, green beans, and corn in the olive oil over high heat for just a few minutes so that the veggies stay crunchy. Mix in the sauce and saute 1-2 minutes until the sauce is very fragrant. Mix in the carrots and then transfer all of the ingredients to the pot with the soba noodles. Mix in the scallions and stir it all together very well.
Garnish with basil and peanuts and enjoy.

This meal turned out really, really well. The vegetables were fantastic and the soba noodles are a very flavorful pasta. We felt like there wasn't any heat coming from the jalapeno so we'd consider adding some of the seeds into the sauce. We also felt like there wasn't enough sauce so we had to season our dish with some extra soy sauce and pepper. For future preparations we would double the sauce portion.

Corn and Bean Fritters

My mom sent me this recipe saying she had just tried it out and that it was definitely a keeper. The instructions seemed very simple and my mother has a good reputation for choosing good dishes.

Corn and Bean Fritters

Serves 4

4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 can small white beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. corn bread mix
1 egg
2 tsp chopped jalapeno pepper
Olive oil
Salsa

In a large bowl, mash the beans. Mix in the corn, corn bread mix, egg, pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Using a griddle or skillet, heat up 1-2 tbsp of oil. Scoop 1/3 cup volumes of the mixture and cook the fritters 4 minutes per side. Serve with the salsa.

The fritters were very good and the more crispy they were, the better. The jalapeno didn't add much spice, so I would either use more of the pepper or mix in some sriracha into the batter. Otherwise, a cool recipe to have tried out.

Cold Sesame Noodles

Tonight we've been invited to a potluck housewarming of a friend of ours. Since the cold sesame noodles dish we made recently turned out so well, we decided to make this one again with some minor adjustments.

The amount of soy sauce and chili paste used in the sauce was slightly increased and the amount of peanut butter was reduced very slightly.
Instead of just using one red bell pepper I also sliced up a yellow bell pepper.
I also ground up two carrots in my mini food processor until they were in small chunks and I threw those into the mix.

The additional veggies were a nice touch for the overall presentation and taste of the dish.

Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

We haven't eaten a meal with Brooks in a while and wanted to share with him a dish that we've always enjoyed and knew would turn out really well. We decided to make the Garlic Noodles with Shrimp dish that we love so much.

I tried to remove the tails from the frozen shrimp before they marinaded, but failed miserably. If I can remember in advance, I will thaw the frozen shrimp beginning the night before and remove all of the shrimp tails before the cooking begins. In the meantime, we're left to removing them by hand as we eat the meal.

Cold Sesame Noodles

This recipe showed up in a new food blog I've been following. I've always enjoyed a cold pasta dish and although Brit isn't the biggest fan of cold dishes, she was willing to give it a try. We ended up eating it at room temperature and it was delicious and filling. I would highly recommend this dish and I can't wait to make it again. Next time I would add some extra veggies to this dish, such as some julienned carrots, and also add some roast turkey on top to give the dish some protein and fill out the entree.

Cold Sesame Noodles
(Originally posted on The Perfect Pantry blog)

Serves 4 (as a main dish)

4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar (we used white wine vinegar)
1 tsp chili paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 lb linguine or lo mein noodles (we used regular spaghetti)
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3-4 green onions, diced

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss pasta with 2 tbsp sesame oil and refrigerate 30 minutes, until cold, or at your desired temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine the first 8 ingredients and simmer over low heat. Whisk for a few minutes until smooth and set aside to cool.

When the pasta is cooled, mix in the remaining veggies. Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce and help it mix and stick well to the pasta. I didn't use very much of it at all.

Roast Asparagus and Caramelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese

As is common these days, I found this recipe in one of the numerous food blogs I've subscribed myself to in Google Reader. Brit and I love asparagus, mushrooms, and goat cheese, so this dish was a no brainer.


Roast Asparagus and Caramelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese
(Originally posted on the Closet Cooking food blog)

makes 4 quesadillas

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful cilantro, chopped
10 spears asparagus, trimmed
4 oz goat cheese chevre, diced
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
4 (6 inch) tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onions until they're soft. Add in the garlic, cumin, chipotle powder and saute another minute. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has been released and evaporated. Remove from heat and mix in the cilantro.

Meanwhile, toss the asparagus with a little oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until they are tender. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add them into the mushroom mix.

In a clean pan, sprayed with cooking spray, gently heat up a tortilla. Add the mushroom and asparagus mixture, some goat cheese, and some monterey jack cheese. Place another tortilla on top and cook until the bottom is browned. Flip the quesadilla by placing an upside down plate on top of the pan. Quickly invert the two and then slide the flipped quesadilla back into the pan. Cook until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melty.

Serve with some sour cream, salsa, or any other condiment you desire.

Fish marinade with Cous Cous and Green Beans

Making this fish marinade dinner is so easy and is always so delicious. We often vary the kind of fish and marinade that we use, but have had very good luck recently with tilapia from Trader Joe's and we have always enjoyed their yellow curry as well. The accompanying carb and green will also vary, but ultimately it doesn't matter. It's a simply, complete, delicious meal that definitely satisfies us both.

Fish Marinade

1.5 lbs fish fillets (we used frozen Tilapia from TJs)
Marinade (we used 1/2 a container of TJs yellow curry)
Black pepper

Place your fish (thawed if necessary) in a glass baking dish or a foil lined baking pan and cover with the curry of your choice. Season the top of the fish with some ground black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 450 F until cooked through and the fish is flaky. I usually test by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the fillet. If the knife glides in with no resistance, you're done!

Cous Cous with pine nuts

1.5 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
Cumin
Zatar
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
1.5 cups cous cous
1/2 cup pine nuts

In a medium sized pot, bring to a boil the water, oil, and all of the spices. I add the spices to my own taste/desire, but I'd guesstimate 1-2 tsp per spice. Once the water has boiled, stir in the cous cous, turn off the heat, and let sit with the lid on it for at least 5 minutes. Fluff the cous cous with a fork. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small saute pan until browned. Stir in the pine nuts to the cous cous after they've been fluffed.

Green Beans

1 cup of green beans
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic vinegar

Cook the green beans until tender in a medium sized pot of boiling water. Drain, return to pot, and season with the remaining ingredients.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have made Brit my spaghetti and meat sauce several times before, but I have never made her any meatballs. In fact, my meat sauce recipe is actually a meatball recipe that I converted because I kept failing at making meatballs correctly. I would get so antsy and anxious about cooking the meatballs correctly, that I kept cutting into to them to check if they were done, and by the time they were done, I had a pan full of ground meat and no meatballs. So, after a recent trip home where meatballs were made, I was determined to give it another try.

Meatballs

serves 4-6

1 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, 1/2 diced and 1/2 minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, diced
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1 lemon, juiced
1 egg
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1 can pasta sauce
1 package spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
1 large head of broccoli

Begin by boiling water for pasta and cook according to package instructions. Be sure to add olive oil and salt to the water, but only add the salt after the water has boiled.

Combine the turkey, minced onion, bread crumbs, ketchup, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sriracha, lemon juice, egg, half of the garlic, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.

Saute the diced onion, remaining garlic, and carrots in a large pot. Season with a little salt and pepper. Once the onions are soft, add in the mushrooms and cook until most of liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Stir in the pasta sauce and simmer on low for a few minutes or turn off the heat altogether.

In a large and deep saute pan, heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Form 1-2 inch diameter balls from the meat mixture and add to the hot oil. Cook no more than 5 minutes before carefully turning over and browning the other side for no more than 5 minutes. You don't want the meatballs to cook at this point, just brown the outside of them. I added another 1-2 tbsp of olive oil during the cooking process to help them brown a little faster. Finish cooking the meatballs by adding the veggies and sauce to the pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam some broccoli and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese and dig in!

So, I successfully made meatballs and I'm so happy with how they turned out. Next time I'll even brown the meatballs for a little less time and I'll prob make the meatballs themselves a little smaller; they won't need as much time to cook anyways. I was experimenting when I added the sriracha and sadly it wasn't distinguishable at all. I'll add a bit more next time and see how it turns out.

Chickpeas and Charred Tomatoes Pasta

This is a dish we have made a few times before and have even cooked for our friends Jeremy and Kendra in the recent past. It's super easy and delicious, so we're always willing to make it again.

Chickpeas and Charred Tomatoes Pasta

(adapted from a February 2011 Bon Appetit Magazine recipe)

Serves 4

1 package penne pasta

1 cup roasted garlic hummus (we doubled the amount of hummus and didn't use plain hummus)

2 tbsp olive oil

Pint of cherry tomatoes

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup halved and pitted kalamata olives

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Before draining the water, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk the hummus into the liquid.

Meanwhile, add the cherry tomatoes to the heated oil over high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook about 10 minutes until blackened in some areas. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and smoked paprika, crushing some of the tomatoes to release their liquids. Mix in the pasta, hummus mixture and then the olives and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Linguine with Pea Pesto

This dish is one that we've made before and turned out really well. Well, it was even better tonight. Previously we used a mix of fresh peas from the farmer's market that we shelled ourselves and frozen peas that we already had, but this time we just stuck with the frozen peas. Frozen peas are a lot less work and cook faster too. This is a definite keeper recipe and we plan to make it again on a regular basis.

Linguine with Pea Pesto
(Originally printed on the Smitten Kitten food blog)

1.5 cups peas
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
12 oz package linguine

Boil a large pot of salted water with olive oil for the linguine and cook to according to package directions. Reserve up to 2 cups of pasta water before draining, drain pasta, and return to pot.

In the meantime, boil a smaller pot of water for the peas. Cook for 2 minutes, transfer to an ice bath, and drain. Also in the meantime, toast the pine nuts and set aside.

Mix half of the peas, all of the garlic and pine nuts, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and blend. Add in the olive oil and blend for a few minutes until smooth.

Over a low heat, mix the pasta, remaining peas, and pesto. Mix well and slowly add the reserved pasta water to smooth out the pesto. We didn't actually use more than 1/4 cup of the reserved water, but add more or less to your preference.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.