Roasted Veggie Spaghetti with Balsamic & Basil

This past week has been a bit crazy for me, as I've had to pack up over three years worth of my belongings and move into a new place (I know three years isn't that long, but somehow I've accumulated a lot of stuff - mostly junk haha). Not surprisingly, I've been relying on quick and easy meals that don't involve much cooking to get me through the process!

Now that I'm finally settled into my new place, I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine and testing out my new kitchen!  Although I'm not sure how my baking is going to turn out with a stove that currently only has one oven rack that appears to be stuck in the lower half of the oven...

The first actual meal that I cooked for myself after moving in was this simple summery pasta dish of thin spaghettini noodles tossed with a variety of colourful roasted veggies and balsamic vinegar, and topped with some fresh basil.

This dish was inspired by a recipe from the cookbook Appetite for Reduction, which used fusilli pasta and a slightly different mix of vegetables (I left out the yellow squash and added spinach and basil). The original recipe was called a pasta primavera, but to me primavera usually implies pasta with veggies in a creamy white sauce, and this dish is quite different!

Instead of adding a sauce, the vegetables are simply roasted until tender with lots of herbs and garlic, then tossed with the noodles in balsamic vinegar for a nice light meal that really highlighted the veggies - perfect for summer evenings!

The basil was a nice addition, and feel free to add other toppings you like, such as parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, or maybe even a touch of pesto!

Roasted Veggie Spaghetti with Balsamic & Basil
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

1/2 bunch asparagus

1 large zucchini

1 small red onion

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

1 bell pepper (I recommend orange, red, or yellow)

4-6 cloves garlic (4 large or 6 smaller)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried thyme or basil (I used basil because I didn’t have thyme)

Salt and pepper

1/2 lb spaghettini (or another pasta)

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

A few handfuls of fresh basil

Preheat oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Prepare the veggies: snap the woody ends off the asparagus and slice the stalks into smaller pieces (3-4 pieces per stalk). Slice the zucchini into half-inch slices. Peel the onion and cut in half, then slice each half into thin slices. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and core, and thinly slice. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices as well.

Divide the veggies among the baking pans and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle the dried herbs over top and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove pans and give the veggies a toss. Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, until tender and browned.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain.

Add the pasta and roasted veggies to a large bowl. Stir in the spinach so that it wilts. Add balsamic vinegar and toss well to mix. Divide into serving bowls, top with some fresh basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. You might want to add another drizzle of balsamic vinegar as well.

Makes 4 servings.

Cantaloupe, Halloumi & Basil Stacks

When it comes to shopping at my local farmers' market in the summertime, I've learned my lesson the hard way that the cheaper option is not necessarily the best choice!

It's so tempting to shop around and buy from the vendor offering fruits or veggies for the lowest price, but time and time again, I end up disappointed and wishing I had splurged on a nicer product from one of the organic farmers.

That was the case a couple weeks ago when I was on the lookout for a cantaloupe to make this dish. I saw a huge bin of cantaloupes for only $2 so I happily scooped one up, thinking I had found a great deal. Of course, about five minutes later I came across an organic stall selling local Ontario cantaloupes that looked much nicer and were only slightly more expensive.

My non-local cantaloupe turned out to be a bad one (not surprising) and ended up going to waste, but luckily I was able to get a beautiful local one a few days later so that I could make this recipe!

I've seen lots of recipes on the web this summer for watermelon and halloumi salads. Watermelon pairs really well with salty cheeses like feta or halloumi, so I wanted to try a similar combination using another type of melon - cantaloupe.

I kept this dish pretty basic, layering slices of ripe cantaloupe with pieces of sauteed halloumi (or grilled if you like!) and fresh basil. I also made a simple basil dressing to pour over everything to add even more flavour.

This was such a fresh and summery meal! Since the cheese is pretty rich, the melon really balanced it out, complementing the saltiness with some sweetness. I loved the basil dressing, so if you're lucky enough to have an abundance of basil growing in your garden, this would be a great way to use some of it up!

Hope you all enjoy the weekend - it's looking to be a beautiful one here!

Cantaloupe, Halloumi & Basil Stacks

Dressing

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tsp agave or honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 (160g) package halloumi cheese (I used a mediterranean flavoured brand)

~Half a ripe cantaloupe
Handful of fresh basil leaves

To make the dressing, place all ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and blend until it's as smooth as possible. Transfer to a small bowl.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Slice halloumi in half horizontally, then slice each half into three pieces. Brush one side of the tofu pieces with the basil dressing, then place face-down in the pan.  Let cook for about 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the other side (that’s facing up) with the dressing. Flip, then cook the other side another 2-3 minutes, until most of the sauce has cooked off and the cheese is browned on each side. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate.

Slice cantaloupe however you like – you can either do long, curving slices or rectangular pieces to match the shape of the cheese. Arrange the cantaloupe and halloumi slices with some fresh basil on the plate, either layered in between each other or stacked on top of each other (like the two different presentations in the photos above). Drizzle with the remaining basil dressing.

Makes 2 servings (or more as a bite-sized appetizer). 

Roasted Strawberry, Chickpea & Asparagus Couscous

I'm not sure about those of you who live in the U.S., but here in Ontario, fresh local strawberry season is still in full swing and I'm loving being able to use them in drinks, baked goods, yogurt parfaits, and even salads. 

A new discovery for me this year is roasted strawberries.  If you haven't tried roasting strawberries before, I highly recommend it!  The strawberries start to break down in the oven and get nice and soft and gooey inside, with an intense flavour.  They make a great topping for crostini, but you can also add them to salads and grains like you would with fresh strawberries.

This couscous dish is a great way to incorporate roasted strawberries.  The original recipe that inspired this dish had a combination of fresh strawberries with couscous, chickpeas, goat cheese and basil, as seen on Prevention RD.  I was planning on making this dish until I saw a recipe for israeli couscous with roasted strawberries on Running to the Kitchen. 

So I changed my plan and made my couscous with roasted strawberries instead. I also left out the goat cheese and added asparagus and fresh mint to the salad as well. I thought this was a light and nicely balanced meal with the veggies, fruit, chickpeas and fresh herbs and it made a great lunch to bring with me to school. 

I also loved the balsamic dressing, although the flavour didn't come through that strongly once everything was mixed together.  If you want more of a balsamic taste, you can add another tablespoon to the dressing, or just drizzle some over each serving when you eat it, like I did.  

Hopefully strawberry season hasn't ended yet in your area so that you can try this recipe! And I still have another strawberry recipe coming up next week, so stay tuned!

Roasted Strawberry, Chickpea & Asparagus Couscous
Adapted from Prevention RD 


2 cups strawberries

1 tsp maple syrup

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided

1/2 lb asparagus

1 cup dry couscous

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Herbamare and ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss strawberries with the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar. Place in a small baking pan and roast in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until soft.  Snap the woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add to the oven for the last 5-7 minutes of the roasting time, until crisp-tender.  Remove from oven and chop into pieces.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to package directions.  Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.

Transfer couscous to a large bowl and add the toasted almonds and chickpeas.  Toss to combine.

Whisk the remaining balsamic vinegar and olive oil together. Pour over the couscous mixture and stir until incorporated.  Stir in the asparagus, roasted strawberries (with their juices), basil and mint. Season with herbamare and ground pepper to taste (I also liked to drizzle more balsamic vinegar over top of each serving).

Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.


This was submitted to Ricki's Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert & Dogs.