Veggies, Pixies and Pasta

Whether you call it a raw and cooked veggie and fruit salad, a pasta dish, or a bowl, you’ll want to call this recipe very delicious. Much maligned broccoli’s more tender and sweeter cousin, baby broccoli, meets Ojai pixie tangerines and the sweet and savory game is forever changed. Yes, veggies and fruits go beautifully together in your favorite recipes, or maybe give this one a try.

Already steamed and seasonal fava beans, crunchy and colorful long sweet peppers, and my favorite fruit/veggie avocado combine with roasted baby broccoli and the very best of California citrus to create a mélange of textures and flavors. Serve over a bed of warm linguine, toss with a tasty tangerine-tahini dressing, garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil. The results are a unique dish with a Mediterranean and California flair that I really hope you’ll enjoy.

Ingredients

2 cups baby broccoli, stems and florets
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 package Melissa’s Steamed Fava Beans, rinsed and drained
¾ cup long sweet peppers, diced
1 ½ avocados, cubed
2 Ojai pixie tangerines, peeled and segmented
8 ounces linguine, cooked & drained

For the dressing:
½ cup tahini
½ cup Ojai pixie tangerine juice
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Garnishes:
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup fresh basil, shredded

Directions

Drizzle the baby broccoli with olive oil and roast at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

Toss half the dressing into the pasta. Place the pasta on a platter. Toss the broccoli, fava beans, long sweet peppers, avocado and tangerines over the pasta. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top. Garnish with pine nuts and basil.