If you can find that sweet spot between creative ingredients and ease of execution, that’s the kind of recipe I’m looking for on a week night at dinner time. That’s why I gravitated towards Simple: Over 100 Recipes in 60 Minutes or Less when I saw it on a shelf in the bargain section of my Books-A-Million here in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. For around $10 or (sue me – I didn’t keep the receipt) so, I knew I had to buy this celebration of simplicity.
My favorite thing to do with a new cookbook when I get home with it is to sit and give it a full run-through from start to finish. I’m not necessarily looking to explore the intricacies of each and every recipe – I’m just looking for standouts…the recipes that I want to try first. This spaghetti with zucchini and pesto recipe immediately stood out – five ingredients…two steps…with all of that flavor? It can’t be possible, right?!?! Well, it is not only possible, it is damn good.
This recipe is actually the cover photo for this book. I wasn’t planning on writing about it when I made the dish, so I didn’t snap any photos of it at dinner time. But, I packed it up meal prep style for lunches throughout the week and as I ate on that spaghetti in the ensuing days, I couldn’t stop thinking about the mastery of the simple concept. That’s when I decided this needed to be a feature here on the SoBros Recipe Book. So, you don’t get a photo of my handiwork, but at least you have the book cover to go off of. Now, let’s get to the recipe.
That really is all there is to it! Nice and easy….simple as can be, and it yields enough to have leftovers for a few days afterwards. It instantly became one of my favorite new recipes and joined the regular week night rotation. You can use the store bought pesto like I did, or you can follow the recipe for the homemade stuff in this book. I’d like to try that out some time, but didn’t have the time to on the first go ’round. I also added a little riff on this recipe by grilling up some chicken breasts, seasoning them in Trader Joe’s Green Goddess seasoning and smoked paprika, then dicing them up and putting them atop the bowl. It also wouldn’t hurt to pour a little bit of alfredo sauce on top either just to give the dish a little added richness.
Pick up a copy of Simple: Over 100 Recipes in 60 Minutes or Less at your local Books-A-Million bargain section like I did, or order it on Amazon today!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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