I like to twirl…..and twirl….and twirl. Do you twirl?
I can walk in my yard and just start to spin. My arms spread out and my head tilted back. I spin for only a moment, just enough to get my hair flying and feel a gush of wind on my face.
It is an amazing feeling of freedom and lightheartedness that usually is reserved for little kids. It is that sense of not having a care in the world. You are immune to everything. It is uninhibited and it is fabulous!!!
I think that is why I like to use the word twirl when I use my food processor. (Weird transition but wait…I’ve got a point to make.) When I chop things on my cutting board, I have to think clearly, hold my knife properly and think of the precision of my cuts. I like this activity a lot but there are times I just want my food cut up without any thought.
When I toss things in my food processor, it gets twirled and it is done. The machine makes a fun noise (I think it is screaming “Wheeeee”) and everything is ready to go. It is a carefree way of putting together dinner.
The other day I had pulled out some of my favorite ingredients (goat cheese, basil, garlic, Kalamata olives, parsley) and just started to twirl them in the food processor. With each revolution and buzz, I kept getting happier. My intention was never to toss it all in but before I knew it….I did. It put me in an ebullient mood.
It was like a perfect ending to a hard day. I could feel the joy of the garlic as it bee-bopped in the container. I rejoiced as I saw the parsley and basil become tiny pieces of green confetti decorating the creamy goat cheese. The olives dotted the mixture like a period at the end of the sentence to signify my completion of a great sauce. It twirled.
Mixed with some rotini that grabbed each little bit of sauce and some veggies (because we have an abundance of them right now), it was a meal that made my head spin. (I spun enough that I forgot to take a picture of the pasta alone….I had served it with some chicken on it!!!)
So take a moment to start this with a moment where you let go, abandon the norm and just twirl.
Twirly Rotini
Ingredients
6 cloves of garlic
½ cup of fresh basil
1 bunch of flat parsley
3 ounces of Kalamata olives
¼ tsp of red pepper flakes
4 ounces of goat cheese
1 zucchini* roasted (chopped, tossed in olive oil, a little salt, cooked at 375 about 20 minutes)
1 pint of grape tomatoes* (sliced in half, tossed in olive oil, a little salt, roasted at 375 20 minutes)
10 ounces of rotini, cooked per package instructions
½-3/4 cup reserved pasta water
*You can roast the tomatoes and zucchini on the same pan. You may just need to add a few more minutes or use a larger baking sheet. You want them a little brown and just releasing their juice.
Directions
Start your pasta and don’t forget to reserves some of the pasta water.
Meanwhile….
In your food processor, twirl your garlic.
Twirl your basil and parsley.
Twirl your olives.
Twirl your red pepper flakes and goat cheese.
Place your twirled mixture into a large bowl.
Add the hot pasta and coat each piece with the goat cheese mixture.
If it is too thick, add a smidge of the reserved pasta water.
Add in your veggies and call it a night!
