I really love super simple pasta dishes that come together quickly but are full of flavor. Let’s face it, we all need to eat more vegetables and recipes like this make it exciting. There’s a bit of white wine in here, so make sure you use something that you want to drink. I mean after all, there will be 3/4 of a bottle leftover and you wouldn’t want that to go to waste. I love a light Albariño but you can also use beer in the recipe and as a great pairing. Try a Saison, something like Brooklyn Sorachi Ace would rock. But hell, if all you’ve got is a crusty High Life in the back of the fridge, I’m cool with that ‘cuz I know you’re eating your vegetables.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup spring onions, thinly sliced
2-3 cups of fresh spring vegetables; such as English peas and asparagus; cleaned and shelled
½ cup white wine
1 cup of arugula
4 oz. feta, crumbled
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup of mixed chopped herbs; such as basil, parsley, mint or chervil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Directions:
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add the orzo and stir to make sure it does not stick together. Cook the orzo for ten minutes, or until it’s al dente.
In a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and onions. Cook until the onions just start to soften, about 5-7 minutes, paying attention not to brown them. Add the peas, asparagus and white wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the orzo is cooked, strain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water. Add the orzo and pasta water to the saute pan of veggies and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the arugula, lemon juice and zest, feta, almonds and herbs. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper
This dish can be served immediately warm or is just as delicious at room temperature.
