Whole wheat pasta with pesto and salmon is one of Jamie Geller’s new Fresh Families recipes. Image by Courtesy of Jamie Geller/JoyOfKosher.com

This meal is pure brain food with tons of Omega-3’s from the walnuts and the salmon. Putting spinach in the pesto will ensure everyone eats it.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Notes: Start by bringing water to a boil for pasta and make the pesto while pasta is cooking. At the same time, prep veggies and salmon and start cooking them in a separate pan.

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This recipe will use half the pesto. Reserve the other half for other recipes, like my Pesto Quinoa Lunch Bowl.

For Vegetarians: Add cauliflower in place of salmon.

Pesto

Makes 1 cup

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and moisture squeezed out) baby spinach
½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
4 garlic cloves
¼ cup walnuts, toasted (toasted pumpkin seeds for nut allergies)
Juice from ½ lemon
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Salmon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
1 small onion, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced thinly
1 pound salmon filet, skinned and boned, cut into 2-inch chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
½ pound whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions

1) Prepare pesto: Pulse spinach, evoo, garlic, walnuts and lemon juice in a food processor or blender until a thick, coarse paste, if needed add water to help process. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve half of pesto for other recipes, like my Pesto Quinoa Lunch Bowl.

2) Heat a large sauté pan, lightly coated with evoo, over medium-high heat.

3) Saute onion until golden and caramelized, about 8 minutes.

4) Add zucchini and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until zucchini is lightly golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5) Add salmon and lemon juice and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes until salmon is medium-rare (the salmon will continue to cook while sitting).

6) Add tomatoes and stir to combine, turn off heat, but continue to mix for 2 more minutes. .

7) Toss pasta with salmon mixture and half of pesto right in the pan or serve everything separately and spoon pesto over top.

Jamie Geller is the only best-selling cookbook author who wants to get you out of the kitchen – not because she doesn’t love food – but because she has tons to do. As “The Bride Who Knew Nothing” Jamie found her niche specializing in fast, fresh, family recipes. Now the “Queen of Kosher” (CBS) and the “Jewish Rachael Ray” (New York Times), she’s the creative force behind JOYofKOSHER.com and “JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller” magazine. Jamie and her hubby live in Israel with their six super kids who give her plenty of reasons to get out of the kitchen — quickly. Check out her new book, ”JOY of KOSHER Fast, Fresh Family Recipes.”

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