What a difference a week makes. Last Wednesday, I was hobbling around in moderate pain due to getting stitches in my left knee. And I was really worried about Rookie because she wouldn’t drink water or bark at anything. Well, a lot has happened since then.
I ended up taking Rookie to the vet, and it turned out that she had a urinary tract infection. Thankfully, my sidekick bounced back after being treated with antibiotics. I am so happy. 🙂
Despite a bum leg, I enjoyed the weekend. On Saturday, a friend treated me to lunch at Hook Fish Co. to satisfy a persistent craving. The following morning, I prepared a big batch of pasta primavera to utilize some items in a recent Cal-Organic Farms delivery. Then my parents stopped by to surprise me with a gift card and key lime tart from Whole Foods for my birthday.
Perhaps best of all, I can now walk comfortably! That may not sound exciting, but I’m strongly in favor of celebrating small victories lately.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.
- 10 ounces short pasta, like casarecce or gemelli
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 green zucchini, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise into ¼"-thick pieces
- 1 cup red and yellow grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- sea salt, to taste
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid, and transfer to a large bowl.
- In the same pot used to cook the pasta, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add bell pepper and broccoli and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add zucchini and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, thyme and Italian seasoning and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta, ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid and lemon juice and toss to coat.
- Add parsley and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. If necessary, add more reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Season with salt to taste. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
