Nutty herby spring pasta

Name: Nutty herby spring pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 53 min
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: ½ pound baby potatoes, halved or quartered if large; 1 pound short-cut pasta of your choice; ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; Zest and juice of 1 lemon; 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for serving; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives; ¼ cup raw mixed nuts and seeds, such as pine nuts, pepitas, pistachios, and walnuts; Fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper; 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved vertically and sliced into half-moons; 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into ¼-inch pieces; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated; Crushed red pepper flakes; ¼ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or Sauvignon Blanc; ¾ cup grated Manchego cheese (about 3 ounces), plus more for serving

6 steps

Prep:15minCook:38min

A I winter long an sure nra warm, cheesy pasta bakes straight from the oven. And when spring finally arrives. Guess what? It's still snowy and pretty cold here in Colorado. Of course, we have gorgeous days filled with sun, but our spring is short and sweet. That means I still want to eat something cozy, but I want it to have a lighter feel. Asparagus, leeks, and dry white wine—especially all together— make me think "spring." You basically need only one pot for this recipe, and if you don't feel like taking out your food processor, you could even just chop everything finely by hand. My favorite pasta shapes to use are ditalini, elbow macaroni, and orzo. I like to eat this dish fresh off the stove, but it makes for great leftovers, too. Pack it up and serve it at room temperature at your first picnic of the season!

Updated at: Mon, 15 Jan 2024 15:37:23 GMT

Nutrition balance score

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Ingredients

6 servings

0.5 poundbaby potatoes

halved or quartered if large

1 poundshort-cut pasta

¼ cupextra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoonsapple cider vinegar

1lemon

zest and juice of

1 cupfresh basil leaves

chopped, plus more for serving

2 tablespoonsfresh chives

chopped

¼ cupraw mixed nuts and seeds

such as pine nuts, pepitas, pistachios, and walnuts

white and light green parts only, halved vertically and sliced into half-moons

1 bunchasparagus

ends trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3garlic cloves

finely chopped or grated

crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cupdry white wine

such as pinot grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

¾ cupManchego cheese

grated, plus more for serving

Instructions

Step 1

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente according to the package directions and the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and the pasta.

Step 2

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse together ¼ cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, lemon zest and juice, basil, chives, and nuts and seeds until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper and pulse a few more times to combine.

Step 3

3. In the pot used for cooking the pasta, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the leeks and cook, stirring, until caramelized and fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the asparagus, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Step 4

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more. Pour in the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

4. Add the potatoes, pasta, and Manchego to the pot, tossing well to coat.

Step 6

Add the herby olive oil mixture and toss to combine. Divide among bowls and serve immediately topped with additional basil and Manchego.