Recipe: Asparagus, fresh peas and mint combine with lemon, spinach
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Looks like spring, doesn't it? The pasta, veggies and the light, lemony sauce all
cook together in one pan. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)
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The peas, lemon and mint all were grown in my backyard.
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This is one of those trick recipes, where everything cooks in the same pan, and it works quite well. I found it on food52.com , but the original author is Anna Jones from her book “The Modern Cook’s Year.” I’ve adapted the serving amount; it can be easily doubled. Be sure to choose a pasta that cooks in 8 minutes or less; I used thin spaghetti.
The recipe goes quickly, so prep as much as you can before starting to cook. Use a large lidded frying pan, sauté pan or wok that the pasta can fit in flat. (In my case, I broke the thin spaghetti in half before cooking.)
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Start with the dry pasta in the pan. |
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side
Ingredients :
Large handful clean spinach, baby spinach or sorrel leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, separated
Salt
8 ounces dry pasta, such as thin spaghetti or angel hair
1/2 pound thick or thin asparagus, woody ends snapped off
1/2 cup peas in pod, sliced crosswise in half (if pods are fresh and tender) or 1/2 cup shelled or frozen (defrosted) peas
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Handful of fresh mint leaves (chopped or whole leaves, as desired)
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions:
In the microwave or a tea kettle, heat 3 cups water to boiling.
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Use tongs to flip the pasta over to make sure it's evenly cooked.
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Place the dry pasta in the frying pan. Add the garlic, lemon zest, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot. Pour in 2-1/2 cups of the hot water, put the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. Remove the lid and simmer on high for 4 minutes, turning the pasta in the boiling water with tongs every 30 seconds or so. After 4 minutes, stir in the asparagus rounds and the pea pods or peas, and continue turning the pasta for 4 more minutes.
Stir in the reserved asparagus tips, the spinach or sorrel and the mint leaves, then the lemon juice. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
Most of the water should be evaporated by this point. Check one piece of pasta -- it should be al dente, not crunchy or mushy. If still too crunchy, add some of the remaining boiled water and simmer another minute or two.
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The pasta is nearly done here. A minute off the heat will help
it absorb the last of the water.
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Serve immediately, topped as desired with a grind or two of black pepper and some grated Parmesan.
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Dig In: Garden Checklist
For week of March 19:
Spring will start a bit soggy, but there’s still plenty to do between showers:
* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.
* Watch out for aphids. Wash off plants with strong blast from the hose.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Prepare summer vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to fight blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees as they start to blossom.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
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