Meatless Monday with Summer Fettuccine

Hello and welcome (back) to the Miratel blog and thanks for joining us for another Meatless Monday recipe.  We took this pledge as part of our CSR business initiatives in support of reducing meat consumption by 15% to improve personal health and the health of the planet. You can learn more about the positive impact of giving up meat one day per week by visiting meatlessmonday.com.

Our recipe today is light, fast, easy and takes advantage of the beautiful seasonal produce available now. When the temperature increases there is a tendency to eat lighter and a desire to avoid spending hours over a hot stove. This recipe satisfies both those goals plus you still get to enjoy a delicious and healthy pasta. Our recipe for a summer fettuccine is full of fresh and locally available produce and comes courtesy of Canadian chef Michael Bonacini, co-owner of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants, which operates eight successful restaurants in Toronto, Oakville, Collingwood and Waterloo from a recent appearance on Cityline with Tracey Moore.

CSR business – Meatless Monday Summer Fettucine image courtesy of citytv.com

Ingredients:

• 3 buds garlic, roasted
• 1 large vine-ripe tomato
• 6 leaves basil
• 2 small zucchini: one yellow, one green
• 1/4 cup garden peas
• Splash of olive oil
• Grated zest 1/4 lemon
• 3 tbsp verjus**
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

** Verjus is an unripened grape juice. It is light, lightly acidic, and works well paired with wine. It is used instead of vinegar and is quickly become one of hottest trend in the food world.

Directions:

1. In a large clean stainless steel bowl, place minced and mashed roasted garlic then add olive oil, grated lemon zest and a tablespoon of pecorino cheese.
2. Next, dice the very ripe tomato, into pea-size pieces and add to the bowl. Next, tear and add the fresh basil. In a small pot of water, blanche the thinly sliced strips of the outer skin of the zucchini for 10 seconds.
3. Remove by straining and toss into the bowl add the fresh garden peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Next, in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the egg noodle fettuccini. Strain and toss into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Toss the bowls quickly 5 – 6 times. Divide into two servings and sprinkle with the extra pecorino cheese and serve.

This recipe for summer fettuccine will yield two portions but can easily be adjusted to feed a crowd. For this recipe you need to use super ripe tomatoes and any variety will do from Roma to Cherry although heirlooms are best as they are very fleshy and have a low acidity. If you don’t have time to dice your tomatoes, you can grate them on a box grater which will separate the flesh from the skin. Also, “you may wish add grilled sweet corn, summer peas, watercress, maché, and more to this delicious yet simple summertime pasta.”

Serve with some grilled or crusty bread and a fresh, seasonal green salad lightly dressed with an olive oil and balsamic dressing. You could also replace the balsamic vinegar with some verjus to compliment the flavours of the dish.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to visit meatlessmonday.com and join us in taking the Meatless Monday pledge today. Spread the word at home and at work to promote CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop or salon even greener.

Enjoy!

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