lemon pasta salad with arugula and pea shoots
I made this recipe up! I am tempted to name it something less descriptive and more awesome, such as "awesome awesome mega super pasta awesome," or "yeah pea shoots," or "Josephine."
Shannon has recently noted the coolness of pea shoots, aka parachutes, which she and I both bought at the farmers' market on Sunday. They're really good, a little sweet, a little bite-y. Yum. They are definitely random, though, and they're not vital to this recipe. Spinach or other greens would do just fine.
Clearly there is room for experimentation -- I didn't measure anything. It was about half greens and half pasta, which worked well. The greens are spicy and tangy, especially with the lemon dressing, so the pasta mellowed them out a bit.
So:
Make pasta. I used about a third of a box of multi-grain rotini. (The recipe as a whole probably made four medium-sized servings.)
While it's boiling, take three or four big handfuls of arugula and pea shoots (or whatever). Tear into bite-sized bits, wash and set aside.
Mix viniagrette in small bowl:
equal parts fresh lemon juice and vinegar (I used white wine; others would be fine I am sure)
about 1 t sugar
a little rosemary, fresh or dried
black pepper
pinch of salt
Drain pasta, put back into pot and pour dressing over it. Toss and let cool slightly so it doesn't freak out the greens. I threw a little herbed goat cheese (that farmers market was excellent) in at this step too, which mixed together nicely with everything else, but I wouldn't say it's necessary.
When pasta is fairly cool, toss with greens and make sure everything's coated just a little. You really don't need a lot of dressing, because it's pretty strong.
Ta da! Eat it. Have other people tell you you're awesome.
Shannon has recently noted the coolness of pea shoots, aka parachutes, which she and I both bought at the farmers' market on Sunday. They're really good, a little sweet, a little bite-y. Yum. They are definitely random, though, and they're not vital to this recipe. Spinach or other greens would do just fine.
Clearly there is room for experimentation -- I didn't measure anything. It was about half greens and half pasta, which worked well. The greens are spicy and tangy, especially with the lemon dressing, so the pasta mellowed them out a bit.
So:
Make pasta. I used about a third of a box of multi-grain rotini. (The recipe as a whole probably made four medium-sized servings.)
While it's boiling, take three or four big handfuls of arugula and pea shoots (or whatever). Tear into bite-sized bits, wash and set aside.
Mix viniagrette in small bowl:
equal parts fresh lemon juice and vinegar (I used white wine; others would be fine I am sure)
about 1 t sugar
a little rosemary, fresh or dried
black pepper
pinch of salt
Drain pasta, put back into pot and pour dressing over it. Toss and let cool slightly so it doesn't freak out the greens. I threw a little herbed goat cheese (that farmers market was excellent) in at this step too, which mixed together nicely with everything else, but I wouldn't say it's necessary.
When pasta is fairly cool, toss with greens and make sure everything's coated just a little. You really don't need a lot of dressing, because it's pretty strong.
Ta da! Eat it. Have other people tell you you're awesome.
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