I live near the Hood River Valley (Oregon), which is world famous for growing delicious apples and pears. I get so excited as fall approaches, because it means the local farm stands will be full of lovely fruit. I always make applesauce (that post will come in the next few weeks), have a constant supply of apples to eat in the fridge, and frequently find ways to slip the fruit into our dinners.This one was inspired by this recipe* from Real Simple magazine. The RS recipe used cheese ravioli, but my 5yr old is quite picky about her cheese, so we substituted farfalle.
Can I digress here for a moment? What child does not like cheese ravioli? This boggles my mind. My child will eat Tillamook cheddar (best cheese ever, who can blame her), Parmesan cheese, and Kraft's powdery artificial cheese sauce. If she's really hungry, she'll have a string cheese. She refuses homemade mac & cheese, and won't eat any non-Kraft processed cheese. It amazes me how kids develop such quirks.
I will post my recipe here, with the only change being the pasta. Please don't substitute the parsley, unless you really don't like it. It definitely completes the flavor structure. And I was surprised that the walnuts were lovely, not bitter as they so often can be.
Farfalle with Apples and Walnuts
12 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C walnuts, roughly chopped
1 (large) crisp apple, cut into matchsticks (I used Gala)
1/2 C flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 C grated Parmesan
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the apple, parsley, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Spoon over the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Check back tomorrow for Fall Harvest Dinner #2--what to do with all those tomatoes that need to be picked before the cold sets in.
