Pasta, anything pasta

[freekenny]

O'siyo,
~ Pasta is one of the greatest 'inventions' You just can't go wrong with Pasta and it can be 'paired' with anything!
~ One of my favourite dishes to enjoy during cooler weather is, Linguine with a apple topping
~ Baked apples are relatively simple..cut apples into small chunks into bowl.. add honey, brown sugar and about 1/4-1/2 cup of water..toss, pour into baking dish~ Bake until apple mixture 'bubbles'..I bake according to the amount of apples
~Boil Linguine, or use your favourite pasta, drain and toss in extra virgin olive oil..place apple mixture on top of pasta, sprinkle with nutmeg, ground walnuts and shredded cheddar cheese.. Serve with a warm loaf of French bread~
~~Sty-U

[stoirmeil]

Bumpin' this up -- a great spring recipe!


Asparagus Pesto with Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 bunch asparagus spears (about 1 lb), trimmed of tough ends and halved crosswise
* 3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
* 1 cup pine nuts
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
* 8 ounces of dried pasta or 12 ounces fresh -linguini, fettuccini, spaghetti Mix spinach pasta with regular wheat pasta, for a medley of colors.


Method

1 Bring 2 pots of water to a rolling boil, one large for the pasta and one medium sized for the asparagus.

2 While the water is heating, put the pine nuts in a single layer in a large skillet. Heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove pine nuts from pan and set aside. You will use 3/4 cup of the pine nuts for the pesto paste and 1/4 cup to mix in whole.

3 Salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pan. Cook for only 2 or 3 minutes, until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain under cool water to stop the cooking. Cut the tips off, and set aside, several of the asparagus (diagonal cut about an inch from the end) to use for garnish.

4 Add the asparagus, spinach, garlic, Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts to a food processor. Purée and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until a paste forms. If too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice and salt, taste and adjust seasoning.

5 Salt the pasta water well and cook the pasta until just tender. Check the directions on the pasta package. You'll need more time for dried pasta and less for fresh. Drain and toss immediately with 1 cup of the asparagus pesto.

Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, a dusting of Parmesan, and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4 to 6.




I love pesto, all kinds. I was wondering today when I found this -- since fresh young dandelion is used so often in spring salad eating, has anyone ever tried making a pesto using it? Maybe mixed with spinach -- all dandelion leaf might be too bitter. But I think the new spring leaves would be tender enough to make a puree with the usual ingredients. I love young dandelion in my salad . . . as a "spring cure", great for the liver and helps get rid of that soggy water weight we tend to pack on from eating too salty all winter, too. What do y'all think? Try it for May Day/Beltane?