Bright Spring Supper

Although I do wish the weather was warmer, this extended wet spring has really done wonders for the garden. We're having trouble keeping up with our huge patch of beautiful lettuce (little gems, romaine, red leaf, butter) and arugula and now the peas have started coming in. I was getting a little tired of the typical green salad and wanted another way to tie arugula into a simple one-dish spring supper and this is what I came up with. This would be great with any combo of green spring veggies, including asparagus, peas, baby green beans, baby zucchini, etc.

Spaghetti with Spring Veggies and Breadcrumbs
½ cup breadcrumbs (store-bought or make your own)
Olive oil
2 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1 lb spaghetti (regular or whole wheat)
½ lb asparagus (about 10 stalks)
2 handfuls snap peas
4-6 cups loosely packed arugula
Juice of 1 lemon
Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes

Combine the bread crumbs in a small saucepan with a bit of olive oil. Cook and stir until golden brown and toasted. Stir toasted breadcrumbs with parsley, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Set aside. While salted water comes to a boil, chop asparagus and peas into ½ to 1-inch pieces. Boil pasta according to package instructions.

Two minutes before pasta is al dente, add chopped veggies to pot with pasta and finish cooking. Reserve ¼ cup water. Drain but do not rinse pasta and veggies to hot pot. Add pasta cooking water, lemon juice, arugula and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir well until arugula is wilted.

Turn pasta into large serving dish and top with breadcrumb mixture. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Garden Eggplant

Last night I harvested our first-ever garden eggplant! I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I threw together a summery pasta sauce. I like saucy pasta dishes and this is a thick, chunky delicious sauce that is simple to make, full of healthy vegetables, and would be great on any kind of pasta.
Spicy Summer Pasta Sauce
Enough for a very saucy 1 lb. of pasta.

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium eggplant
1 bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 small zucchini or summer squash
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can stewed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
splash (or glug) red wine
dried red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/4 cup chopped herbs (I used Italian parsley and basil from the garden)
s&p to taste
parmesan cheese

Chop vegetables into small chunks (whatever size you prefer).
Heat oil in large saucepan and add eggplant. Saute and stir eggplant over medium-high heat until browned and soft. Add pepper, onion, zucchini and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Add tomatoes/sauce, water, wine and red pepper flakes and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
When ready to serve, season with s&p and stir in herbs.
Toss sauce with pasta and parmesan cheese and serve.

Tortellini Salad

Well, I have to give LoPo credit for sharing this recipe with me and I have to give Rachael Ray credit for creating it, but it's so good I had to post it here. It does have a lot of ingredients, but is really a gorgeous addition to a BBQ or summer party.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Salad
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Now That's a Sandwich!

Coarse salt
1 package fresh mushroom or chicken prosciutto or spinach filled tortellini (recommended: Contadina or Buitoni brands) available on dairy aisle in most markets
1/2 pound fresh baby spinach
1 (15-ounce) can baby artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1 red roasted pepper, drained and chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, cracked from skin
1 lemon, zested
2 teaspoons lemon juice, the juice of 1 wedge
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, a couple of splashes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaves, eyeball it
Black pepper
A handful sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, coarsely chopped

Bring 5 or 6 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Salt boiling water and add pasta. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until pasta is just tender and the tortellini are floating like buoys. Drain tortellini, then cool the cooked pasta by spreading them out on a large plate or a cookie sheet in a single layer.
Coarsely chop baby spinach. Combine with artichoke pieces, roasted red pepper and red onion. Chop garlic, then add salt to it and mash it into a paste with the flat of your knife. Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and add lemon zest, lemon juice and vinegar to it. Whisk in oil, thyme and pepper. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to the salad. Dress salad and gently toss. Serve or refrigerate.