Spring Pasta With Peas and Asparagus
605 days ago
Skip to recipeI like this pasta salad recipe, because I wanted something different that was easy to throw together, but still full of flavor. Seasonal vegetables shine in this Spring Pasta With Peas and Asparagus. It screams spring and will be a welcome addition to your table this year.
Preparing the Ingredients
As the name of the recipe implies, peas and asparagus are at the center of this dish. While there’s no prep work for the peas, the asparagus is cut down into one-inch pieces. Cutco’s Santoku-Style Trimmer is a great knife for easily cutting through the woody stems.
Garlic is one of the ingredients that gives this pasta salad a lift in flavor. Mince it using the 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife.
Putting it Together
To start, the peas and asparagus are cooked briefly in a skillet with about a half inch of water to bring out their vibrant green color.
The water is then drained and the pan with the vegetables is returned to the heat. Olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper are added and the vegetables are sautéed until they are fork tender, but still crisp.
You can also roast the asparagus instead, to add a little char flavor to the dish.
Use any pasta you like, but I love protein pastas because it makes the dish more filling and will help keep your pasta portions smaller.
This Spring Pasta With Peas and Asparagus recipe doesn’t require dressing. Instead a little olive oil, lemon and cheese add the perfect amount of tang and saltiness to complement the pasta and vegetables.
This is a great side dish alongside grilled meats and fish. It’s also an easy recipe to double or triple if you have a crowd to feed. Everyone will want the details on this unique recipe!
Nutrition per serving: 303 calories, 10.2 g total fat, 2.6 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 194 mg sodium, 39.2 g total carbohydrates, 10.5 g fiber, 21.2 g protein
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked protein pasta
- 2 cups peas
- 1/2 pound asparagus, snap off woody ends and cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic gloves, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
Directions
- Cook your pasta following the boxed instructions.
- Place peas and asparagus into a large pan, cover with about a half inch of water, then cover with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Cook the vegetables over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Drain and return the pan to the stove.
- Add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to the vegetables and sauté for an additional 2 minutes or until they are still crisp but fork tender.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and put the pasta into the pan along with the sautéed vegetables and reserved cooking water.
- Add Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, half of the lemon juice and toss well to combine. Use additional lemon juice if needed.
- Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.