Fusilli Mediterraneo
March is upon us, and as many of you know, we celebrate National Nutrition Month. Nutrition month is the perfect time to think of pasta as a backdrop for nutritious and delicious meals. I look forward to celebrating the month of March in many ways: first I will be in Italy for a few days, visiting my family and looking for new culinary inspirations; second, I will roll up my sleeves and do what I like best: COOK!
This recipe includes many staples of the Mediterranean diet, including whole grain pasta, extra virgin olive oil, Greek Kalamata olives, and pungent feta cheese, along with an unexpected ingredient: ripe Hass avocadoes, the quintessential health food.
Buon appetito and HAPPY NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH!
Chef Rosario
Fusilli Mediterraneo
Ingredients
- 8 oz Fusilli pasta best if whole grain
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup Pitted Kalamata olives
- ¼ Cup Roasted red piquillo peppers
- Salt to taste for pasta water
- 4 oz Greek feta cheese crumbled
- 1tsp Greek oregano
- ¼ Cup Tender organic celery leaves from the heart, chopped
- 1 Large ripe Hass avocado
- ½ Cup Pasta water
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water (4 to 5 quarts) to a boil over high heat.
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2. While water is heating, slice garlic, crumble feta (be sure to use a real Greek feta made with sheep’s milk) and dice the piquillo peppers. Remove flesh from a ripe avocado and cut it into 1“dice. Choose the very pale and sweet leaves from a head of celery and chop roughly. Set aside.
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3. Once the water has reached a rapid boil, add salt and then the fusilli.
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4. Cook until very al dente (about 1 minute less than recommended cooking time on package directions).
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5. While the fusilli are cooking, heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute; then add the olives and peppers to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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6. When pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Return pasta to the pot, add reserved pasta water and the garlic oil mixture, stirring over low heat for a minute or so, until most of the water has been absorbed by the pasta.
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7. Remove pot from heat and add most of the diced avocado, crumbled feta, oregano, and celery. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce is slightly creamy and all the flavors are well incorporated.
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8. Transfer to a platter or portion onto individual plates. Top with the rest of the diced avocado and serve immediately!
March is upon us, and as many of you know, National Nutrition Month. Nutrition month is the perfect time to think of pasta as a backdrop for nutritious and delicious meals. This month I will share a recipe I created that includes many staples of the Mediterranean diet, including whole grain pasta, extra virgin olive oil, Greek Kalamata olives, and pungent feta cheese, along with an unexpected ingredient: ripe Hass avocadoes, the quintessential health food. I hope to have made you hungry and inspired you to learn more; see this easy-to-execute recipe.
Buon appetito and HAPPY NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH!
Chef Rosario
