Light pasta dishes are the thing right now, as the weather gets steamy and the end-of-school-year schedule feels impossible. This pasta dish features fresh pesto, asparagus, sweet peas and a topping of fresh avocado all tossed with locally made D’Agostino Pasta, which I love for its richer flavor and delicate texture—and shorter cooking time thanks to no preservatives.
5 Ingredient Spring Pesto Pasta
Servings: 6
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1 pound package dried spaghetti, preferably D’Agostino Pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sweet peas, fresh or thawed from frozen
6 ounces basil pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks
Lemon wedges for garnish
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, and reserve the pasta water. Toss the pasta with with the pesto and set it aside. In a large skillet over high heat, add enough water to fill the bottom of a pan. When the water simmers, add the asparagus and sweet peas and poach for about 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through. Turn off the heat. Pour the pan contents into the pasta and toss well. Add some of the reserved pasta water as necessary to make tossing easier. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate, and top with the avocado chunks and lemon wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.