When I am starving, feeling lazy and running really low on food, pasta is normally my go-to. And in the warmer months Fresh Summer Pasta is my favorite!
What I mean by “fresh” is basically fresh raw veggies. So pasta aside, nothing else is cooked. It is the simplest and best way to showcase fresh vegetables during the spring and summer months when they are plentiful and fresh.
Can everything in life be this simple and zen-like? Wouldn’t that be nice? Lately as you guys know life has been nuts and I have been on overdrive. If I’m being honest, I’ve been wearing myself a little thin. Getting up early to get work done before the baby wakes up, working on the house/running errands all day, cooking, cleaning, teaching, blogging. Blagh. Why do I do this to myself? Seriously.
And no one is making me do it. Trust me. It’s all me. What happens is that I think, would I rather take a break, or get more stuff done, and I always choose “get it done.” Even though, nothing is really that urgent. In a strange way, I actually feel guilty taking a break. I know that’s probably crazy but it’s true. And although I know in the back of my mind that there is nothing wrong with relaxing and taking some time to myself, it still makes me feel weird.
I mean seriously yesterday we ran a quick errand where we needed both cars, and the hubs took the baby in his car. And let me tell you, those 20 minutes in the car by myself, listening to the radio, sitting down were magical. It felt like a vacation. Haha that should not happen.
So when I am feeling a bit run down and need an easy pick-me-up treat, my Fresh Summer Pasta is just the thing. Several benefits to this meal, aside from being delicious is that Baby Poppy loves it too! So I give her noodles to slurp up while I enjoy my lovely bowl. Also it is a great way to use up the last bits of veggies you have on hand. And lastly it’s healthy.
Today I did fresh ripe cherry tomatoes, left over peas and feta. That’s pretty much it. Toss it all in a light but oh so tasty lemon garlic olive oil vinaigrette and enjoy. Outside preferably. And watch out for baby thieves trying to steal your pasta! This whole meal should take about 10 minutes to make and 7 of those are the pasta cook time
As for me, I’m going to start small. My plan is to give myself 30min of me-time today. To do what? I don’t know. Maybe do my nails or take a long shower or just sit outside with a glass of wine. Don’t care. But 30 full minutes to me.
Fresh Summer Pasta
Serving size 2. Easily double!
This saves for 2-3 days easily in the fridge but I think it is the best the first day so the tomatoes don’t get soft. To make this vegan, make sure to use vegan-friendly cheese.
- 1 pound spaghetti (linguini, angle hair or whole wheat pasta work great!)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pint or 2 cups of fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters
- 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon (1-2 tablespoons)
- 2/3 cups cooked English peas
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- fresh-ground black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Combine the sliced cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Let it sit while you prepare the rest.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done. Make sure to the follow the package instructions to achieve pasta al dente.
Drain pasta and quickly add it to the tomato oil mixture. Add the peas and crumble feta on top. Finish off with a small drizzle of good quality olive oil.
10 minutes flat. Boom. Done. Time to mangiare.
Originally posted 2016-06-01 14:55:52.
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