Sauteed Baby Bok Choy Pasta with Romesco Sauce

This dish is a prime example of why I love the surprise of a CSA.  I never in a million years would have planned this dish to be on my menu ahead of time, but after mulling over the contents of our box and some tantalizing recipes I had come across recently, this is what I came up with.  And boy, was it yummy.  The romesco was slightly spicy from the ancho chile pepper and slightly sweet from the roasted red pepper.  The red wine vinegar lent a nice tang to the sauce.  Tossed together with the bok choy and tomato, this dish was comforting, filling, and absolutely delicious.

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy Pasta with Romesco Sauce

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy Pasta:

1 box whole grain medium shell pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1 baby bok choy, thinly sliced

1 medium tomato, roughly chopped

1 tbs. fontina cheese, shredded (optional)

In pan in which bread was fried (see below), add bok choy.  Sauté 1-2 minutes until tender.  Add tomatoes and sauté 1-2 minutes.  Add pasta and romesco sauce (see below).  Toss to combine.  Top with fontina, if desired.

Romesco Sauce:

Adapted from YumSugar

1 mild dried chile (I used an organic ancho chile)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 slice whole wheat bread

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

3 cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed

1 roasted red pepper, peeled and seeded

1 tsp. paprika

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbs. red wine vinegar

[Note: This makes about double or triple (depending on how saucy you want your pasta) the amount of sauce you will need for one box of pasta.]

Place chile in hot water and simmer 10 minutes over low heat.  Remove from water and let cool.  Reserve water and stem chile.

Heat 3 tbs. olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Fry the bread until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Reserve pan for above.

Place chile, bread, almonds, and garlic in a food processor.  Pulse quickly, 10-15 times, until chopped.  Add roasted pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Puree to form a chunky paste.

Add vinegar.  With processor running, slowly add olive oil.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  If necessary, add reserved water to reach proper consistency.