Summer Pasta with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta

Although it may not seem like it from my last post, we actually do eat more than just asparagus and carbs at our place. I swear. It's just that asparagus has been so plentiful -- and good! and cheap! and easy to make! -- these days that it's really hard to resist.

Lately, we've been doing more "one stop" meals where everything (the vegetables, carbohydrates, and meat) is part of the main dish. I love those type of dinners...it means less pots/pans to keep track of, less multi-tasking and best of all, less dishes to clean up! Good for the busy and tired and lazy folk, right??



Ok, so maybe not lazy -- but definitely tired and busy. AC and I both started new jobs last month...and while it's been a good change, it's also been a BUSY transition. Gone are the travel discounts and work-from-home Fridays *sob*. But not all is lost; I do get summer Fridays, as well as a nice little perk at this lovely shop :D

Anyway, this delightful summer pasta is the perfect way to show off this season's finest. For one thing, it has fresh peas. Fresh peas are one of my favorite foods -- if you've never had the privilege of shelling and popping them right into your mouth, you are totally missing out. They taste like spring (or how I would imagine spring to taste), and are so deliciously sweet that you can sometimes eat them raw. Other lovelies in this pasta include diced cured pancetta, bits of fresh basil, a wonderfully bright lemon cream sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and of course, asparagus. Simple, fresh and light: the perfect way to enjoy summer after a long, busy day...



Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta
Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2010

12 ounces fettuccine or penne
6 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas if you are pressed for time (do not thaw)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese.

Continue reading for recipe...

Pizza with Asparagus, Fingerling Potatoes, and Goat Cheese

Sometimes, homemade is just better. Especially when it's spring/summer, and the most anticipated produce of the year -- cherries, strawberries, peas, corn, apricots and of course, asparagus -- starts making its glorious appearance into our grocery stores.


Oh yes, I could go on and on about all the sweet and juicy berries we've been stuffing our faces with lately. But first things first -- vegetables before dessert, right? Only, these vegetables are pretty darn good. And when served as a bubbling but simple white pizza (no acidity of tomato sauce to contend with), their fresh flavors really shine.

While I'd love to pinpoint the asparagus as the sole star of this lovely pie, it's really the combination of everything together that makes it so delicious. Garlic olive oil and crisp chopped scallions provide the perfect base. Tender, charred and slightly sweet asparagus contrasts the tangy goat cheese perfectly. Potatoes add a subtle richness and buttery flavor to the pie. And gooey, melted mozzarella cheese rounds out everything wonderfully.



In fact, it's so good that we actually had a couple of slices after dessert as a late night snack. Are we rebels or what? ;)

Asparagus, Fingerling Potato, and Goat Cheese Pizza
Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2009 and Gourmet, July 2009

5 ounces fingerling potatoes
cornmeal (for sprinkling)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1 1/3 cups grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, each spear cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces
pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cool. Cut potatoes into thin slices.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll and stretch pizza dough to 16x11-inch oval. Transfer to baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic in small bowl. Brush garlic oil over dough. Sprinkle 3/4 of green onions over, then mozzarella, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with potato slices and goat cheese. Toss asparagus and 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl. Scatter asparagus over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Bake pizza until crust is browned and asparagus is tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Cut into pieces.

Pizza Dough
2 (1/4-ounces) packages active dry yeast
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups warm water (105–115 degrees), divided
2 teaspoons salt

Whisk together yeast, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until mixture develops a creamy foam, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Stir together salt and 3 cups flour in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water and stir until smooth, then stir in 1 cup more flour. If dough sticks to your fingers, stir in just enough flour (up to 3/4 cup), a little at a time, to make dough just come away from side of bowl. (This dough may be wetter than other pizza doughs you have made.)

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface with floured hands, lightly reflouring work surface and your hands when dough becomes too sticky, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half and form into 2 balls, then generously dust balls all over with flour and put each in a medium bowl. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Continue reading for recipe...