Garlic Scape Pesto

So in my CSA a few weeks ago I got these garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are are the parts of the garlic that grow from the bulb. I wasn't sure what to do with them so I looked up a recipe and decided to make garlic scape pesto.

Ingredients

1 Cup Chopped Garlic Scapes

1/3 Cup of walnuts

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese grated

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Coarse Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Blend everything but the olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Slowly drizzle in the oil with the motor running, and blend until emulsified and smooth. Add a little more oil if you like yours a little looser, but I found that this amount to be just right for me. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Use this as you would use any pesto. We had it with some pasta and it was perfect. It also makes a great dip with some crusty bread. Happy eatting!

Whole wheat pasta with cauliflower and panchetta

So I was eating out every meal for over a week before I settled into my new apartment. Because of all the unhealthy restaurant food, this week I have been cooking as much as possible. However, I am only cooking for 1 and my refrigerator in London is the size of most people's mini-fridges from college, so I've had to be a little creative with my recipes. They needed have 1) less than 5 ingredients, and 2) cooking time of under 30 min since I can only buy groceries and cook after I get home from work.

This is my take on a recipe I saw on another blog.


Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 package whole wheat spaghetti
1 small onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 slices panchetta, cut into small half inch chuncks

salt and pepper
Parmesan for shaving over the top

Cooking:
1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over a high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add cleaned and cut cauliflower into pan. Stir and cover, turning the heat down to medium. Saute ~10 until the cauliflower is softened and starts to brown.
3. Boil paste (~quarter package per person).
4. Remove cauliflower, garlic and onions from pan. Add panchetta to hot pan and brown.
5. Once browned, add the cauliflower mix and pasta onto the panchetta. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with shavings of parm on top.