Baby Squash & Toasted Quinoa with Opal Basil and Marinated Feta

Baby Squash & Toasted Quinoa

with Opal Basil and Marinated Feta

2 Servings
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From the Test Kitchen

The delicious green basil we know and love is just one of the many, many varieties and color out there. In this recipe, we’ll show you the darker side of the spectrum, using opal basil, a deeply purple variety that thrives in summer’s heat. The flavor of opal basil is somewhat stronger, but still delightfully crisp and refreshing.

Get Cooking
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    600 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
Baby Squash & Toasted Quinoa with Opal Basil and Marinated Feta
Title
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 3 oz Feta Cheese
  • 1 bunch Basil
  • 1 bunch Opal Basil
  • 1 Lemon
  • ½ lb Baby Zucchini
  • ½ lb Pattypan Squash
  • 1 cup White Quinoa
  • 3 Tbsps Pine Nuts
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Small dice the feta cheese. Remove and discard the stems of the pattypan squash and zucchini; cut the pattypan squash in to small wedges; halve each zucchini lengthwise. Peel all 4 garlic cloves; mince 3 of the cloves. Mince the remaining clove; then, using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Pick the opal and green basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Finely chop the green basil and place in a small bowl with the garlic paste, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Toast & cook the quinoa:
2 Toast & cook the quinoa:
Heat a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), on medium until hot. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until golden and nuttily fragrant. Add the toasted quinoa to the pot of salted boiling water and cook 17 to 20 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Marinate the feta cheese:
3 Marinate the feta cheese:
While the quinoa cooks,in a small bowl, combine the feta cheese and green basil-lemon zest mixture; season with pepper to taste and toss to thoroughly combine. Set aside to marinate.
Toast the pine nuts:
4 Toast the pine nuts:
While the quinoa continues to cook, wipe out the pan used to toast the quinoa and heat it on medium until hot. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl and set aside as you continue cooking. Wipe out the pan.
Cook the vegetables:
5 Cook the vegetables:
Once the quinoa is cooked, in the same pan used to toast the pine nuts, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the squash and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant and lightly golden.
Finish & plate your dish:
6 Finish & plate your dish:
Add the cooked quinoa, opal basil and the juice of 2 lemon wedges to the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until well combined and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. To plate your dish, divide the quinoa mixture between 2 dishes and top with the marinated feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

Baby Squash & Toasted Quinoa

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Small dice the feta cheese. Remove and discard the stems of the pattypan squash and zucchini; cut the pattypan squash in to small wedges; halve each zucchini lengthwise. Peel all 4 garlic cloves; mince 3 of the cloves. Mince the remaining clove; then, using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Pick the opal and green basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Finely chop the green basil and place in a small bowl with the garlic paste, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
2 Toast & cook the quinoa:
Heat a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), on medium until hot. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until golden and nuttily fragrant. Add the toasted quinoa to the pot of salted boiling water and cook 17 to 20 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Toast & cook the quinoa:
Marinate the feta cheese:
3 Marinate the feta cheese:
While the quinoa cooks,in a small bowl, combine the feta cheese and green basil-lemon zest mixture; season with pepper to taste and toss to thoroughly combine. Set aside to marinate.
4 Toast the pine nuts:
While the quinoa continues to cook, wipe out the pan used to toast the quinoa and heat it on medium until hot. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl and set aside as you continue cooking. Wipe out the pan.
Toast the pine nuts:
Cook the vegetables:
5 Cook the vegetables:
Once the quinoa is cooked, in the same pan used to toast the pine nuts, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the squash and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant and lightly golden.
6 Finish & plate your dish:
Add the cooked quinoa, opal basil and the juice of 2 lemon wedges to the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until well combined and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. To plate your dish, divide the quinoa mixture between 2 dishes and top with the marinated feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Finish & plate your dish:
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