Kyle’s Kitchen
Looking ahead at the weather it looks like we are finally in for some spring-like temperatures and that makes me happy. One of the first things I like to cook is pasta primavera (the Italian word for spring) with lots of fresh veggies. This one has a light lemon cream sauce that sounds wonderful. This dish is American, not Italian.
You could easily add some chicken or shrimp to it if you didn’t want to go full vegetarian. This recipe calls for penne, but butterfl y (farfalle) pasta would also be good.
Pasta Primavera
16 oz penne pasta 1 tbsp olive oil 8 oz asparagus, cut into
1-1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into
1-1/2-inch pieces
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 small zucchini, chopped Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced Zest of
1 lemon Dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp lemon juice, divided
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tbsp parsley
Extra Parmesan cheese
Crushed red pepper flakes Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook for 11 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Pour the pasta back into the pot.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus, peppers, and broccoli. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender, but still crisp. Season vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the vegetables to a large plate or bowl.
Place the skillet back on the stove. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and vegetable broth. Simmer until the broth reduces by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Stir the peas into the pot with the pasta. Stir in the cooked vegetables. Pour the lemon cream sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir until well combined. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Gently stir in the tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Pour the pasta primavera into a large serving bowl or dish. Garnish with parsley, extra Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes.
—kwc— Spring also makes me think of ham because we usually have it for Easter. Here’s a good sounding recipe that doesn’t have pineapple in it because we have a non-pineapple eater in our family.
Easter Ham
3/4 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup orange marmalade 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1/2 fully cooked-bone-in ham (6 to 8 pounds) 1-1/2 teaspoons whole cloves Preheat oven to 325. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, marmalade and mustard; set aside. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep; insert a whole clove in the center of each diamond.
Place ham cut side down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 140, about 2 hours.
Brush ham with some of the glaze. Bake 45 minutes longer, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes. Serve remaining glaze with sliced ham.
—kwc— And here’s a recipe to use up the inevitable leftover ham.
Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 1 cup chopped cooked ham 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 tomato, seeded and diced 1 small red bell pepper, diced 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced 1 small green bell pepper, diced 1-1/4 cups mayonnaise 1-1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 2 tsp lemon juice Salt to taste
Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
Combine macaroni and next 9 ingredients until blended. Add salt. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
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