Pasta with Asparagus

Tags

asparagus, asparagus pasta, kid-friendly pasta, lemon pasta, pasta, vegetarian pasta

We finally have an abundance of Quebec asparagus. I realize it’s summer, but the asparagus crop available to us up until about 3 weeks ago was mainly from our neighbour down south, the USA. Our season for local produce comes a little later than usual because of our colder climate. The farmers’ markets and grocers’ are now inundated with our own local fare. And how beautiful they are! Thin asparagus, thick ones, even wild, wispy asparagus sold right out of the back-end of a truck. We love asparagus in our household. Steamed and served cold as a salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Roasted in the oven with olive oil. And our all-time favourite, marinated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then thrown onto the barbie.

A few weeks ago I came home with 2 large bunches of asparagus. I grilled them all on the barbie, thinking of the left-overs which I would add to some sandwiches, along with some aged cheddar and sliced pears. We were in the country at the time and burgers were on the menu. I was saving my asparagus for last. I managed to pop 2 or 3 spears into my mouth as I left the kitchen. When I returned 20 minutes later for my serving of asparagus, they were gone! I called out to hubby, “Where did you put the asparagus?”.  “I ate them,” he called back. To which I replied, “You ate them ALL? Well, you better make sure to flush when you go to the loo!”.

Pasta with Asparagus

2 bunches of asparagus

2 lemons

1 package (1 lb/450 g) of pasta of your choice, I used Fusili

Extra Virgin olive Oil

Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 cup grated, plus more for serving

Salt

This really is a dish which allows you to adjust the seasonings to your own taste. Begin by removing the tough stem-ends of the asparagus. Chop them into 1 or 1 1/2 inch pieces. Steam them in a double boiler for about 4 minutes. I enjoy a slight crunch to my asparagus. You can also boil them for the same amount of time. Drain and set aside.

Bring some salted water to boil in a large pot and cook the pasta. As it cooks, zest 1 lemon and set aside. Juice the 2 lemons. Grate some Parmigiano Reggiano. I used about 1 cup, but you can adjust the amount to suit your own taste.

When the pasta is done, or al dente, drain and pour into a large bowl. Drizzle the pasta with extra virgin olive oil, about 3 or 4 tablespoons. Add the cooked asparagus, lemon zest, 1/2 of the lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Add the Parmesan cheese and give it a stir. Taste for salt and lemon. If you like it a little more lemony, add the rest of the juice. I usually add about 1/2, and then another little drizzle. I like to add some Parmesan shavings, just because we LOVE it! Serve and enjoy!

Little Ears with Broccoli

Tags

broccoli, kid friendly, pasta, Vegetarian

As part of my plan to introduce Meatless Mondays into our meals, I decided to make some pasta tonight. The plan is to cook up a yummy dish and just pass it off for what it is.  No mention of Meatless Mondays because the last time I did that, I got attitude. And not just from the kiddies.

Pasta, broccoli, olive oil and garlic. Oh, and some freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese for a little zing.  So where do the little ears come in?  Well, the pasta in question is called “orecchiette” in Italian. Orecchie, meaning ears, and the “ette” ending refers to a small size. Little ears. Take a look and see for yourself.  They do resemble little ears, don’t you think?

Even more so when they’re cooked.

You don’t have to use orecchiette. Penne or pennette is another good choice. Spaghetti works too. Chop a head of broccoli into little florets. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Heat up some extra virgin olive oil in a pan, about 1/4 cup, on medium heat. Add garlic and after about a minute and a half, add broccoli florets. Cook for about 3 minutes and then add some water. Not much, less than 1/4 cup, just enough to continue cooking the broccoli without burning the garlic. Burnt garlic tastes bitter. Cook for a few minutes more and it’s done. Set aside.

Boil water for pasta. Add salt to boiling water. Add the pasta and cook according to package. Drain pasta, return to pot and add some extra virgin olive oil, 3 or 4 splashes. Throw in the broccoli and garlic and toss with some grated Pecorino Romano. Plate the pasta and grate more cheese over the top. You could also use Parmigiano Reggiano. Voila, dinner is served!

It was Meatless Monday and they had no clue! And they loved it!

 

Guess who’s cooking dinner

Tags

Cheese, Cooking with kids, Main Meal, pasta, Vegetarian

Emma has always loved baking.  She started  baking with me when she was 4 years old.  This past year she started coming into the kitchen while I was cooking and ask if she could help.  I always obliged.  I think that one of the best ways to get kids eating new and different foods is to get them involved with the cooking of it.  I know it works with my kids.  Because Emma gets involved with the ingredients that go into a meal and with the whole preparation of it, she becomes more familiar with those foods and therefore feels more comfortable trying them out.

I picked her up from school yesterday and said, “Guess who’s cooking dinner tonight?”  “Who?”, she asked.  I replied very excitedly, “You!”  She was equally excited, asking what she would be cooking and stated that she wanted to do it all by herself.  Fine by me!

I did have to do one thing which I thought she was just a tad too young for. Cook the giant pasta shells in boiling water and drain it.  They look like sea shells, don’t they?

Emma was on her own from here.

Empty one container of ricotta cheese into a bowl.

Chop 3 tomatoes and add to cheese.

Finely chop some parsley and basil leaves and add to cheese mixture.  

Grate some parmesan cheese into the mixture.  Add a little salt.  Mix it all up and stuff the giant pasta shells.

 

Place into a baking dish with a little olive oil poured onto the bottom.  It’s o.k. if they’re snug in there, just squeeze them in.

Pour a little olive oil over the pasta and grate some parmesan over them.

Into the oven they go.  350 degrees for 15 minutes or so and voila!  Don’t they look good?

If there are any pasta shells left over, do what Emma did.  Put them in a small baking dish, add a few dabs of butter with grated parmesan and throw them in the oven.  You know what?  They were pretty tasty! Emma even took the pictures herself and said, “You can put them on your website.”  She’s only 9!

Bountiful Basil

Tags

basil, dinner, pasta, sauces, Vegetarian

If you grow your own basil like I do, now is the perfect time to preserve this fragrant herb for the winter months.  The Birri Brothers at the Jean-Talon Market sell it by the basket, even by the bushel.  They are my go to guys for everything veggie.  Emma asked to make pesto the other day – she loves it!

Pesto originated in Genoa, an Italian port city in the region of Liguria on the Mediterranean Sea.  Aromatic basil, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil and salt.  That’s it!  You could store it in the fridge for at least 3 weeks, or store in the freezer in small containers so you can savour that summer freshness throughout those dark and cold winters.  I also freeze some in ice-cube trays and then in freezer bags.  I throw a couple of cubes in my minestrone soup, or even steam up some veggies and then mix in a pesto cube or two. I don’t just use it with pasta.  I love to slather it on my pizza dough and then just add some cherry tomatoes and fresh mozarella.  A taste of summer in every bite!  It’s great on roast chicken, sliced tomatoes, or drizzle more olive oil into it and use it as a dipping sauce for vegetables. Or melted over some fish. The possibilities are endless.

Traditionally, pesto is made in a mortar and pestle.  “Pounding fragrant things — particularly garlic, basil, parsley — is a tremendous antidote to depression.”   (Patience Gray, British cookery and travel author.)                 If you feel the need to let out some of your frustrations, by all means pound away.  If not, use a food processor.  That’s what Emma and I did.  We simply made it by taste-testing as we went along.  Do the same and if you want it more garlicky, then add more garlic.  Or more pine nuts for a nuttier taste.

A bunch a basil leaves, we used about 4 cups
Garlic, 3 cloves
Pine Nuts, 1/2 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a little more than 1/2 cup, close to 3/4 cup
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, at least 1/2 cup
Salt, to taste

We washed and dried the basil leaves and put them in the food processor. We gave it a blitz and then added the garlic and pine nuts.  We blitzed some more and added olive oil with the food processor running.  Lastly, we added the Parmigiano and salt.  Then we tasted, added more Parmigiano and salt and tasted again.  Perfect! We had it with pasta and Parmigiano shavings.