Spring has finally decided to show its face in Chicago, chickadees.
And for that, we are grateful.
In celebration of a season in which the sun shines warmer and the Farmer’s Market is finally open, Ky and I decided to embark on a dish that would make us feel like winter was over.
Enter the spring-themed pasta we made a few weeks ago.
This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit’s Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta, but loosely.
My kitchen strategy is usually to take the framework of a recipe and re-tool it so it’s easier, less cream-heavy, or just made with what I have.
The first thing we did was head to the grocery store and buy all the vegetables that looked like spring.was.coming.
The next step was to saute some garlic in olive oil (my favorite first step to anything) and then to add in the vegetable bounty.
While your vegetables are sauteing, boil a giant pot of water for any kind of pasta you’d like. We used a short cut, because that’s what was in my pantry, but really, anything would be good in this recipe.
Also while the vegetables are doing their thing, this is a good time to prep the sauce that will coat the pasta and the veg. Ours consisted of 6 ounces of goat cheese, a few handfuls of chopped parsley, s & p, one grated lemon rind, and some olive oil and pasta water.
Once the pasta is finished, and your vegetables have sauteed for about ten-fifteen minutes (we dropped in some frozen peas at the very end), grab a giant mixing bowl and fold it all together.
This was a quick, easy recipe with a delicious return. Bon Appetit calls for cream, but we thought that goat cheese + lemon rind was a brighter, spring-ier idea, and it worked out perfectly. We also left out the pancetta, but that had more to do with forgetting it at the grocery store than anything else.
Never underestimate the power to improvise, chickens.
And enjoy this spring dish!
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