Pasta with Asparagus, Peas, Artichokes, and Lemon {Pantry Basics}
Yesterday I saw some really interesting food and nutrition related things while I was browsing the web. One was this segment from 60 Minutes about the danger of sugar. It is an interesting watch.
Another interesting thing I saw is a bit on the gross side. Apparently Starbucks uses dye from ground up bugs in their Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino. You can read about that here.
I post most of the interesting nutrition tidbits I find on my Twitter and Facebook pages so make sure you follow me there too!
The pantry staple I am talking about today is pasta. Without bugs. I really don’t have a lot to say about pasta except that I love it. It is a great thing to have on hand because you can make a simple and delicious meal with it so quickly. In this dish I added a bunch of green veggies, some capers, and a little lemon and created a delicious meal in minutes.
One note I will make about pasta is to make sure you use the whole wheat variety. The white pasta doesn’t provide you with the same nutrients and fiber as the whole wheat variety.
Ingredients
- 6-8 oz whole wheat pasta, I used spaghetti but you could use other varieties
- 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup peas, I used frozen
- 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered. I used frozen
- handful of baby spinach
- 2 T capers
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for about 15-10 minutes
- While asparagus is roasting cook your pasta.
- In the last 5 minutes of the cooking time for the pasta add your peas and artichoke hearts right in with the pasta.
- Drain the pasta. Add the asparagus, capers, garlic, lemon, and spinach.
- Stir until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
Here are some other pasta dishes you might like.
Pasta with Balsamic Tomatoes and Feta
Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Lentil ‘Ground Beef’
Pasta with Ricotta, Baby Spinach and Herbs
Pasta with Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Feta
Did you know bugs were used as dye in food? Would you buy a product if you knew it contained dye from bugs?
4 Comments
Leave a Comment
Meet Jamie
Hi! I'm Jamie. I love making delicious vegetarian meals for my family. Here you will find easy and affordable recipes with some occasional glimpses of my life as a stay at home mommy to 3. I'm glad you're here!
Sign Up For Updates By Email
Photostream
Ooh, this recipe is perfect for spring! I always buy whole wheat pasta too–I think it tastes better than regular pasta.
I definitely think whole wheat tastes better now too
Mmm – haven’t cooked with artichoke hearts in a while, but this sounds delicious (and quick!). The Starbucks bug “scandal” is so sad, I hope they respond to all the outrage and use natural coloring (or strawberries!) soon!
I know! Wouldn’t using strawberries in a strawberry drink be a novel idea!