Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad Pizza

It is still asparagus season. I've already told you how much I love asparagus when it's fresh, so I won't go into that again.

Instead, I'll just continue to celebrate it in recipes like this.

Here the asparagus is served raw, barely dressed up with olive oil, lemon juice and scallions. Enjoyed on top of a mozzarella and Parmesan topped pizza crust, the asparagus just shines.

 

The asparagus elevates your traditional pizza to a whole new level. It's light and fresh. Be generous with it. You'll want extra asparagus salad so you have enough to snack on while the pizza cooks.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Smoked Salmon Pasta

It is officially asparagus season, one of my favorite times of the year. We're smack in the middle of a few weeks of perfect, flavorful asparagus filling farmers' market stands.

I buy certain fruits and veggies out of season, but not asparagus. It's just so much better when it's fresh. 

I've been buying it up and eating it in every dish possible.

I get a lot of my asparagus inspiration from Smitten Kitchen. It doesn't hurt that she cooks only a few miles away, from many of the same farmers' markets I do, so she tends to post recipes when the ingredients are available to me.

This has quickly become one of my staple weeknight dinners. The ingredient list is short, and the lemon zest makes the pasta pop. A bit of smoked salmon adds a smoky element (and some protein) to the dish.

If you're looking to make an asparagus dinner in under 30 minutes, this is the dish for you.

What's your favorite asparagus recipe? I'm looking to bring some variety into my asparagus cooking over the next few weeks!

Fresh Vegetable Pasta, Risotto Style

I've been on a bit of a pasta kick lately. I know it's summer vacation, and I should have time to cook myself elaborate dinners each night. But I just can't bring myself to turn my oven on. Our kitchen has only one window, and if our bedroom doors are closed, the hot air just hangs there and quickly heats the kitchen.

So, I've been making pasta. Big batches of pasta that I can eat for lunch and dinner for a few days. Pasta I can reheat if I have an easy-to-please guest over for a meal. Pasta that is even good cold if you don't want to unplug the one fan in the kitchen so you can plug in the microwave.

This pasta is a definite winner. It's the most fascinating cross between pasta and risotto, and it's prepared in a risotto style. The pasta is toasted in oil, wine is added and cooked until it is absorbed, and then enriched vegetable broth is added. The pasta is stirred and stirred and stirred until all the broth is absorbed. The remaining pasta is rich and creamy, without the addition of any cream, and only a bit of parmesan cheese is mixed in at the end.

The finished pasta is just loaded with lightly cooked vegetables. Leeks, asparagus and baby peas are lightly sauteed together and finished with a pinch of red pepper flakes for that perfect suggestion of heat.

And the campanelle pasta! Cook's Illustrated described it as "ruffled, bell-shaped," and I'd call it just adorable. It holds on to the sauce well, and the pieces remain separate so you can enjoy them one by one.

Although the process is much more time consuming than your typical pasta dish, it's certainly worth the extra time, and you'll be left with a rich, flavorful and unique dish.