Weekday Lunches

Have you all met Samantha on Style? She’s an old friend, fellow DC blogger, and one of the most fashion-forward folks I know. Sam has been playing around in the kitchen a lot more than she used to, and she recently mentioned she is looking for lunches she can bring to work during the week. She couldn’t have timed this little tidbit of information any better, because right before I heard from her, I had bookmarked this salad from The Kitchn.

The Kitchn, by the way, just happens to be a great place to click around whether you’ve been cooking for ten years or ten minutes. There is endless inspiration within its, er, walls.

Herein is my favorite kind of weekday lunch. It has everything you need all in one serving. You can pack up a little container of this in the morning, grab a clementine, and be all set for the day. It’s a beautifully green salad that is just as fun to eat as it is to look at. The lemon and edamame keep the pesto and walnuts (which were my idea–The Kitchn suggested almonds) from getting too heavy, and anything with pasta is a guaranteed favorite around here. Even better? There are minimal dishes involved in the prep, so it won’t take too much time for a busy, working-girl type to prepare. The way I see it, you still have some serious weekend time to head to your favorite grocery store and save a little cash this week by bringing your lunch to work instead of waiting in line for Shake Shack (not that I know anything about waiting in line for Shake Shack).

To make lunch for the week, you will need:

8 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup pesto (store bought or homemade)
8 ounces spinach
2 cups edamame (I usually keep a bag of frozen edamame, shucked, in the freezer)
juice from 2 lemons (plus fresh lemon wedges for serving)
3/4 cup walnuts, crushed and lightly toasted (You could skip the toasting, but why would you? Grab a nonstick skillet, dump the walnuts and turn the flame on low. Swirl the nuts around after about two minutes, continue swirling occasionally until the nuts get just a hint darker.)
freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions. Drain, and run some cold water over the pasta for no more than 10 seconds. Add the pesto, spinach, and edamame to a large bowl and dump the spaghetti right on top. It will still have residual heat, which will wilt the spinach a little, and leave some of the leaves in tact. Stir in the walnuts and squeeze out the lemon juice. Crack some pepper over the salad and toss everything until it’s combined. Portion your lunch out into some small containers and enjoy it throughout the week.

Looking for a cute packaging twist? These mason jar meals have been popping up all over Pinterest and would serve as a great vehicle for a picnic in the park.