Nothing too much, just a thread to share recipes and talk about cooking. After all, you like to eat, no?

I'll get things started. Personally I prefer to cook outside, but yesterday it was raining so I cooked primavera last night in the kitchen. This is one of the few meals I make that has no meat. The mushrooms and pecans provide the protein. One could easily cook this dish with chicken or shrimp added, but I like this one as is.

Ingredients:

About a pound of mushrooms. / Portobella, porcini, white oyster, whatever you like and or can locate.

1/2 pound asparagus. sliced into 1" or so pieces.

1/2 pound snow peas. / fresh green beans or broccoli works well too. trim ends.

4 cloves of garlic, minced.

zest of one lemon.

juice of one lemon.

1/2 teaspoon basil.

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped.

1/2 cup pine nuts. I usually use pecans. chopped.

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

1/2 cup heavy cream.

1 pound linguine, spaghetti, or other pasta of your choice.

4 tablespoons of butter.

4 tablespoons of good olive oil.

salt and pepper to taste. / sea salt and fresh cracked pepper is best IMO. I like the french gray sea salt. I also like using a mixture of various color pepper corns, but whatever.

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Bring to a boil 6 cups of salted water. Cook asparagus and peas for 3 minutes. Remove from hot water and put in a bowl of ice to cool. This will stop them cooking and you'll retain their vivid green color. It just simply makes for a better presentation. Save the water the veggies are cooked in for the pasta.


Heat a skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil and butter and saute the sliced mushrooms, garlic and pepper flakes. Brown mushrooms to suit. Add basil about half way through and season with salt and pepper to taste. When the mushrooms have about 5 minutes of cooking time left add the blanched veggies and stir them into the butter and oil.

In the reserved veggie water cook your pasta. Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil as the pasta goes in. cook al dente.

When pasta is ready drain (save 1/4 cup of the water). Stir into pasta 2 tablespoons butter, the cream and the grated Parmesan cheese.

Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to your skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and nuts to pasta and mix everything thoroughly. If you think it needs a bit more liquid once combined use some of the saved pasta water.

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The interplay in this dish between the lemon, the garlic and the other seasoning is what makes this so good. its savory but has a bit of the lemon tartness, plus it has a bit of creaminess thanks to the butter and heavy cream.

I wish I had taken better photos, but you get the idea.

Mangia bene!







I don't guess I got a photo of everything combined (doh!) I'll do better next time.

Serve this with some crusty bread and a glass of white wine and your set. This is a good during the week dish that we all enjoy.