Sigh. It’s going to be a long hot summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Still June and the forecast is above ninety for the next week. The lawn is already august brown and I look forward to doing laundry because it takes me down into the deliciously cool basement. The kitchen, normally a spot of solace and comfort, seems more like the somewhere between the frying pan and the fire. Hot.
A simple pasta dish gets me in and out of the kitchen in about ten minutes (well not counting bringing the water to a boil) and takes advantage of the bounty of fresh green peas from my garden. Win win.
This recipe is for a single serving. Easy enough to double or quadruple but sometimes we all have to eat alone. And when cooking for one it’s too easy to forget about pretty or green and instead opt for quick or what’s there. This pasta is both pretty and green and quick. Add a green salad and a glass of white wine. Summer perfect.
Here’s a guide on estimating pasta- read the comments for readers opinions on what constitutes a serving
While attempting to verify the world record for eating peas (7175 eaten one by one in sixty minutes using chopsticks) I inadvertently discovered that there is a world record for the most steps walked down by a dog facing forwards balancing a glass of water. (The dog’s name is Sweet Pea, and yes, there is a photo of her balancing that glass of water.)
Summer peas and angel hair pasta
ingredients
- 2 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
- A glug of good olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced or thinly sliced
- About ten snap (snow) peas, roughly chopped. (I like to have three sizes, thinly sliced, bite sized, and one or two whole snap peas)
- About a two tablespoons of bright light white wine or a bit of the reserved cooking liquid from the pasta and some lemon zest
- About a tablespoon of julienned fresh basil
- Fresh grated Parmesan or Reggiano to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
directions
- Cook the pasta according to desired doneness and set aside reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.
- Add the olive oil to a pan preheated over a low to medium low heat, add the garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, and then a minute later the peas. Toss until just hot add the wine (and/or the reserved cooking liquid and lemon zest) and remove from the heat.
- Toss the pea mixture and the pasta together and served topped with the basil and grated cheese.
summer peas and angel hair pasta
Ingredients
- 2 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
- A glug of good olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced or thinly sliced
- About ten snap snow peas, roughly chopped. (I like to have three sizes, thinly sliced, bite sized, and one or two whole snap peas)
- About a two tablespoons of bright light white wine or a bit of the reserved cooking liquid from the pasta and some lemon zest
- About a tablespoon of julienned fresh basil
- Fresh grated Parmesan or Reggiano to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to desired doneness and set aside reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.
- Add the olive oil to a pan preheated over a low to medium low heat, add the garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, and then a minute later the peas. Toss until just hot add the wine (and/or the reserved cooking liquid and lemon zest) and remove from the heat. Toss the pea mixture and the pasta together and served topped with the basil and grated cheese.
Leave a Reply