Italian Night Wrap Up
For those of you who were able to attend, we hope you enjoyed our class last Tuesday! Two of our talented student chefs, Wesley and Zul, walked us through how to make avocado pesto linguine and caprese salad. Both of these recipes are super nutritious and pair very nicely together.
Wesley started us off by boiling and salting a pot of water to cook the linguine. Then, he started on the avocado pesto. The basis of any pesto is some type of green, nut, and oil. In this recipe, we added basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice for some citrus flavor, and the star ingredient: avocado! Wesley expertly de-seeded the avocado using a knife; if you want to learn how then check out his tutorial on our instagram: @uacookingoncampus. We are celebrating National Nutrition month this March, so you can look forward to lots of interesting content!
After blending all the pesto ingredients in a food processor until the texture is smooth and creamy, the linguine, pesto, and cherry tomatoes were tossed in a bowl to combine. Pro tip: add some leftover pasta water to the mixture. The salty, starchy water not only adds flavor, but also helps the pesto evenly incorporate and stick to the pasta.
For the caprese salad, Zul took the lead! She started by slicing Roma tomatoes and mozzarella into rounds with similar thicknesses, and then she placed the mozzarella on top of the tomato. Next, she layered a whole basil leaf on top of the mozzarella. After repeating this process a few more times, she created a vibrant pattern of red, white, and green that is actually symbolic of the Italian flag, where this dish originates! As a final touch, she added salt, pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar for some more flavor. You could even add a drizzle of olive oil on top, just make sure it is extra virgin.
The ingredients in this week’s recipes are rich with antioxidants, healthy fats, and vitamins. If you decide to make these recipes then here are some ideas for what to do with leftover ingredients so these nutrient-rich foods don’t go to waste!
-Add your extra pine nuts to salad later in the week for an extra 18 grams of protein.
-Freeze any leftover pesto and use it later for pizza, sandwiches, or your favorite protein source like chicken or tofu.
-Make a caprese salad sandwich and add some avocado as a spread. Since avocados contain a lot of fiber, this will make your dish much more filling.
If these recipes sound interesting to you, then check out the full versions on our Cooking on Campus website.
Make sure to join us for our next class on March 16! We will be making crab-avocado spring rolls with peanut sauce and garlic ginger edamame.
Click here to register: bit.ly/CookingOnCampus
We hope to see you there!
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram: @uacookingoncampus #CatsInTheKitchen
Check out our website for more recipes