Garlicky Penne with Butternut Squash, Broccoli Rabe and Cannellini Beans

I've stopped accidentally marking things with "2016," which is how I know we're fully set in the new year. I'm kind of excited to see what these months have in store for us. There are lots of unknowns, of course, but unlike previous years where I felt nervous about the uncertainty of it all, I'm now going to try to approach it all a little differently. Try and go with the flow a bit more. I don't have any resolutions this year. There are the same ones that linger with me each day... read more, exercise more, travel.  On that last item, I think we're going to struggle a bit with finding time to do a big trip this year as this past fall, Eric and I (along with his brother and his wife) purchased a house on the Cape.  It needs a bit of love, so we'll be spending any available days working on that. With that said, the two of us are looking at doing a couple of long weekends this winter to some spots around New England. This weekend, we'll be staying in Northampton. It's a cute town, one that I really haven't spent much time in (my last real visit was in '99). In February, we're hoping to take a drive up to Portland, which has been on my list for a while. From what I've heard, has an incredible culinary scene (which is just what we want to experience when we travel). Always looking for recommendations (though we have quite the list going here), so if anyone's been, feel free to share your favorite spots. 

GARLICKY PENNE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BROCCOLI RABE AND CANNELLINI BEANS  

SERVINGS
6 people

INGREDIENTS
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 lb broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
1, 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained of liquid and rinsed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 lb box of penne
Olive oil
Salt
Red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. In a bowl, toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread across the baking pan in a single layer. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, stirring the butternut squash every 15 minutes to allow it to cook evenly.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne as directed on the box, but five minutes before it is done cooking, add the broccoli rabe. When the five minutes are up, drain the pasta and broccoli rabe into a colander. Transfer to a serving bowl.

In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add beans to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour garlic, beans, and olive oil on top of the pasta and toss to coat the penne with oil. Transfer roasted butternut squash to the serving bowl, followed by the toasted almonds and red pepper flakes, and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, season with additional salt. 

Silent Sunday: Little Donkey (Cambridge, MA)

Click here to view more Silent Sunday posts! And to see more of my food and beverage photography, head on over to my portfolio site. 

LITTLE DONKEY
505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA

Roasted Whole Red Snapper with Tomato, Fennel, and Olives

After a couple of rough days last week, I developed a craving for a comforting brothy bowl of mussels and crusty bread.  I bundled up and head off to our local Whole Foods, a reliable source for beautiful seafood. When I approached the display, my eyes scoured the selection. I didn't see any bags. The gentleman behind the counter asked if he could help me with anything. "Any mussels?" He gave me an apologetic smile, "Sorry, we're all out and probably won't be getting in for a few days. Everyone wanted them for the holidays." Bummer. "Ok, so, let's see what else we have here." I looked over my other options. And that's when I noticed a gorgeous lone red snapper laying before me. "What about the snapper?" I asked. His eyes went wide and a big grin formed. "That just came in this morning. It's super fresh. You're going to love it." Sold. 

Not much needs to be done to such a beautiful fish. I rubbed it with a bit of oil and lightly salted the skin. Into the oven it went and, within 30 minutes, the whole thing was finished. There are so many directions one can take with this dish, but I went with a Mediterranean spin, pairing the fish with sautéed fennel, tomatoes and sliced black olives. 

The day after, I ended up at the store again and showed the fishmonger some photos on my phone of what I'd prepared. "This is awesome. Just awesome. I'm so happy you showed me this." I didn't get into details about the blog or that I'm a food photographer (though he got really excited by the plating). I don't know how often people share their creations with him, but I hope it brought him joy knowing that someone enjoyed his recommendation.

ROASTED whole RED SNAPPER WITH TOMATO, FENNEL AND OLIVES

SERVINGS
4 people

INGREDIENTS
1, 3 pound cleaned whole red snapper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 medium fennel bulb, cut in half and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced
Canola oil
Olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the snapper onto a large baking pan. Cut 3 or 4 angled slits into each side of the fish. Rub the skin of the snapper with canola oil and lightly salt the skin and cavity of the fish. Roast for 30 minutes or until the fish flakes. Transfer to serving platter.

While the fish is cooking, set a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and fennel. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add black olives and taste for seasoning. If necessary, season with additional salt and black pepper.

Serve with a side of rice or roasted potatoes.