Tuesday, May 5: Pesto Salmon, Caprese Farro, and Parmesan Zucchini

Roasted pesto salmon, parmesan zucchini, and caprese farro salad for dinner! The photos are all terrible, whoops, but it was SUCH a good meal that I wanted to share anyway. I topped a few salmon filets with leftover arugula pesto, and roasted them alongside halved zucchini sprinkled with parm. On the side, a big patch of farro mixed with grape tomatoes, fresh mozz, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and balsamic. Delicious!

Note: Because I’m not going to the grocery store very often, I bought a package of individually-wrapped 4 oz salmon filets (wild caught) to keep in the freezer — it’s super easy to just throw a few in the fridge the day before I want to make them so they can defrost safely.

For the pesto: See original post with arugula pesto recipe here. You can also use your favorite store-bought or other homemade pesto. (You’ll need 1-2 TB per salmon filet.)

For the caprese farro: To a large bowl, add 1 pint of halved grape tomatoes, a few big glugs of olive oil, a few glugs of balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice), a large pinch of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let marinate at room temperature while you prep the farro. Cook 1 cup of farro in about 4-6 cups of salted water according to package instructions (I used Bob’s Red Mill farro, which simmers for 30 minutes). When farro is tender, drain excess water and let cool for 10-15 minutes, then add to the bowl with the tomatoes. Make sure the farro is not too warm (you don’t want it to melt the mozz), then add in about 6 ounces of fresh mozz, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you can also use those tiny mozz pearls). Stir together, adding more olive oil, balsamic, and salt to taste (the tomatoes will have also released some of their juices, which will help create a yummy dressing), until combined. Let sit while you cook the salmon.

For the salmon and zucchini: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange two 4 oz salmon filets (one per person) in the middle of a half sheet pan. On either side of the salmon filets, place zucchini that you’ve sliced in half length-wise (I did two medium zucchini, or four halves, two on each side of the pan), cut side facing up. Drizzle the zucchini and salmon with olive oil and use your fingers or a brush to spread evenly. Season everything with a pinch of salt. Spread 1-2 TB of pesto on top of each salmon filet in an even layer (I did a pretty thick layer, but you may prefer less), and sprinkle each zucchini half with a thick layer of grated parm (about 1 TB per zucchini half, or to taste). Place in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes (depending on how you like your salmon cooked — I like it well done).

Give the caprese farro a big stir (the dressing will have accumulated a bit on the bottom of the bowl and you want to redistribute it), give a final taste for salt, then spoon into bowls. Top with the salmon, and serve the zucchini on the side.