Spring Vegetable Pasta
Heeeeyyy. Hi. Remember me?
I hope so because I sure did miss you guys! I didn’t intend to stay away for as long as I did but there just wasn’t enough time in the day to keep up with everything. Plus, I didn’t want to look back at such an important time in my life and regret not disconnecting from my computer. I’m sure some of you can relate to that feeling.
Anyway, I can’t wait to fill you in on all of the details!! We got home from Maui last Wednesday and I haven’t quite settled back into my normal routine yet {read: exercise has been non-existent} but I’m enjoying life as a married woman.
I have a ton of pictures to sort through from the honeymoon and we just got our wedding photos back today so you should be seeing those sometime soon. I’m just trying to play catch up right now, especially in the kitchen.
I figured a good place to start was with a few bright green spring veggies, like fresh asparagus and pea shoots.
If you’re new to pea shoots, they’re basically just the sprout of a pea plant. They’re low in calories and have a faint pea flavor that makes a delicious addition to salad, stir-fry, or in this case, pasta. Even better, they’re loaded with phytonutrients that provide powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
You know what else has anti-inflammatory benefits?
Wine…so I put some of that in there too. Actually, I’m not sure that cooking with white wine offers the same benefits as drinking red but let’s pretend. Because it tastes good.
The sauce for this pasta is super simple: white wine, herbs, a little bit of butter (or olive oil), and fresh lemon juice. The shiitake mushrooms absorb all of those flavors and taste especially scrumptious in this dish.
But the best part is that everything but the pasta is cooked in one pan. I was tempted to roast or grill the asparagus with fresh lemon and olive oil and then add it later but I didn’t want to over-complicate things. It’s a light and flavorful dish that’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but if you don’t mind the extra step then I’m sure roasted asparagus would be awesome too.
By the way, have you noticed that I completely ignored the fact that today is Cinco de Mayo? I honestly forgot all about it which is a crying shame because I’ll use any excuse to eat Mexican food. I have enough Mexican-inspired recipes on here to prove it too.
But I just couldn’t wait one more day to say hi and to share this pasta with y’all. I hope you are able to kick back with a margarita tonight and enjoy some nice spring weather!
Ingredients
8 ounces pasta of choice (I used whole grain fusilli)
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter (or vegan butter)
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2 lemons + zest of one
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces green peas, fresh or frozen and defrosted
2 ounces pea shoots, chopped
1/2 shredded parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as suggested.
- In a large pan, warm the oil or butter over medium heat, add the garlic and the shallot then cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the asparagus along with the white wine, lemon juice and herbs. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until asparagus is just tender.
- Then add the shitake mushrooms and stir until they have absorbed some of the liquid. Lastly, add the the peas and the pea shoots and continue to cook while stirring for 2-3 more minutes.
- Distribute pasta into separate bowls and top with parmesan cheese.
Welcome back!! We’ve missed you!! Hope you had a fabulous time :-)
Looks great! :) Was excited to see your post, glad all went well with your wedding! :)
Welcome back, Sarah!! I took a sneak peak at some of your wedding photos — stunning!!
Can’t wait to see more :)
So glad you are back! Can’t wait to hear all about Maui! :)
Ahhh so happy to see you back!! I can’t wait to see wedding photos!
Welcome back, pretty! I’m so happy you took time away to enjoy your new husband. All of us bloggers could use a little tech-free time every once in a while :) And I’m loving the wine IN the recipe for your debut post back, hehehe… Wine is good for the soul and for the food ;) Can’t wait to see your photos of the big day!
Welcome back Sarah! This pasta looks delicious – and love that it only uses one pan. Can’t wait to hear/see more about your wedding :)
I’ve missed your gorgeous face! And as delicious as this pasta looks, I can’t wait to hear more about your wedding!! :D
Welcome back! Can’t wait to hear all about the wedding and honeymoon! I hope it was everything you dreamed it would be :)
I feel like you’re such an overachiever to come back with a recipe. And such a delicious looking one too! I don’t make enough one-pot pasta and veggie dishes like this – they really are the best. Glad to have you back! Now give us some wedding pics!
Welcome back! I’m so excited to see your wedding photos! I can’t believe you got them back so soon! You are so lucky! I hope your honeymoon was excellent! This dinner looks delicious and your photos are amazingggg!
Welcome back, buddy! :) Can’t wait to see your photos from the wedding. And Hawaii? One of the most beautiful, calming places on Earth. Looking forward to seeing through your eyes.
Welcome back Sarah, I look forward to seeing the pics of your honeymoon. From what I saw on Instagram we were in a paradise! I like that you’re back with such a flavorful yet simple dish. Right, white wine doesn’t have tannin, however it is perfect in here!
This pasta looks simple and delicious! I love anything with lemon and garlic!
This pasta is a good post to come back with! I don’t have any excuses for my crappy eating lately, but veggies are extra appreciated right now. Glad you had a great time!
I would have thought you were crazy if you didn’t disconnect haha I’m so glad you had a wonderful time and I’m excited to see pictures!! This dish looks fab and spring-y and I also completely neglected Cinco de Mayo…whooooops!
YAYYYYYYY! My mornings…well, nights now…aren’t the same without your blog! I was getting Sarah withdrawals! Miss you my love…so glad you had an amazing time in Maui! Tell Brando I say hello ;)
This is big happy harvest meal! I love it!
Welcome back!! I can’t wait to see photos : ) I remember getting back from our honeymoon and it took so long to feel settled back into my normal routines! This pasta looks like a great place to start!
Hi there! I got excited when I saw a new post :) Glad to have you back and I have no doubt that your wedding & honeymoon were both everything you had been dreaming of! Can’t wait to see photos.
This is my kind of meal — I could eat veggies and pasta almost every day!
Congrats on your wedding!! And WOW…this looks incredible. Right up my alley. My husband and I are obsessed with asparagus lately for some reason. :) Pinning!!
Welcome back! I think I totally agree you’ve got to take time out especially during this time in your life to just disconnect and enjoy it. Blogging will always be here but life sometimes just happens!
Loving this new recipe. It looks simple to make yet delicious.
Glad you’re back, but I’m sure not as happy about it! It’s so hard to settle back into real life after a wedding and honeymoon! This is the perfect start to your homecoming — you can’t go wrong with spring veggies intertwined with some pasta! Gorgeous!! And congrats to you and your new hubby!
You’re back!!! I’ve missed you. This pasta is calling my name and I’m so happy you had a lovely time disconnecting from the wold. Can’t wait to see more photos from the big day!!!
This looks so, so good! I love the fresh vegetables- so delicious! Definitely need to try this recipe out! :)