Weekends are supposed to be relaxing, so the rumor goes. But come Sunday night, after the hiking, carousing, drinking, sunbathing, running, picnicking, sweating and entertaining with which many of us fill our summer weekends (several times over on long weekends), I don’t think it’s unusual to feel exhausted. That is how I found myself at my local Mr. Melon store on Sunday afternoon, staring into space and trailing zombie-like through the aisles, loath to cook anything, but feeling sharp pains in my stomach and wallet at the thought of eating takeout food one more time.
I had walked in with a vague plan of making a pasta dish that I like, but the asparagus was looking limp, the only walnuts I could find were in enormous tubs and neither Jason nor I could remember if there was any pesto left in the freezer. So I gave up on that one. I think, really, the only thing to do when you find yourself in this situation is to grab the items that kindle a tiny joy in your tired heart, which is how I ended up walking to the register with 1) Brussels sprouts and 2) rotelle pasta (or if you prefer—and believe me, I prefer—wagon wheels). Seriously, try to find a more cheerful pasta shape. That’s right. You can’t.
I am certain that you, dear reader, are just as capable of this sort of improvisation as I am, but I’ll post the recipe I came up with, just in case it comes in handy some muggy Sunday evening. The veggies make it fresh and light enough for summer, but the bleu cheese gives it a creamy decadence that will send you into a deep end-of-weekend slumber.
Bleu Wagon Wheels
- 12 Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered.
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- A couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
- A handful of Kalmata olives, sliced
- A handful of raw almonds, chopped
- 1 hunk of bleu cheese
- ½ lb. rotelle pasta
Sauté the garlic and Brussels sprouts in olive oil or butter (or both!). Season the sprouts with the salt, pepper, herbs and juice from half of the lemon, and cook them until they start to get tender. As the pasta is boiling, add the tomatoes and olives to the sprouts and cook until hot and juicy. Finish the sauce with the juice from the other half of the lemon. Ladle the pasta and sauce into big bowls and top with almonds and bleu cheese. Eat while watching television—seriously, the more edifying activities can wait until Monday.