Spring Vegetables
Looking for a fast satisfying meal that takes advantage of spring vegetables? Try this super-fast pasta dish that’s versatile and can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.
Recipe: Pasta with Spring Peas and Goat Cheese Sauce
Serves 6
If you’re not a fan of peas fear not! This recipe can work with any spring vegetable – baby carrots, for example. For your Perfect Pairingtry The Vineyard at Hershey Chardonnay Reserve. Aged for an extended period of time in French and American Oak, this Chardonnay is pure butterscotch on the nose, but well balanced and without a typical French Oak bite. It balances nicely with the sweet peas and complements the creaminess of the cheese in the sauce.
Ingredients
1 cup large curd cottage cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces (1 small container) crumbled goat cheese, at room temperature
1 small bag (about ¾ pound) sweet spring peas (frozen is ok)
1 9 ounce bag TSTE® Garden Harvest Orzo (OR SUBSTITUTE 3/4 pound small shells or other pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons TSTE® Vik’s Garlic Fix blend (OR SUBSTITUTE 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic OR 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic)
4 small heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
TSTE® Pirates Bite Grinder Blend, to season
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped arugula leaves
Optional, to garnish: fresh chopped garden herbs such as basil, parsley or mint
Preparation
In a large pot, cook the pasta according to directions. Just before the pasta is al dente, add the peas, return to a boil and continue to cook for about 3 minutes until the peas are bright green and just tender. Before draining reserve 2 cups of the cooking water. Dain the pasta and peas and return to the warm pot. While the pasta is cooking, gently warm the olive oil and TSTE® Vik’s Garlic Fix in a small deep sided skillet set over medium-low heat.
Add the olive oil and garlic mixture to the warm pasta and toss to coat. Turn the heat to low, and add the cottage cheese and the goat cheese, mixing in about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to create a thick sauce. Let the heat cook off any excess moisture but keep tossing so the sauce doesn’t break. Add in the arugula and toss to wilt. Season generously with TSTE® Pirates Bite pepper blend and garnish with fresh chopped garden herbs such as parsley, basil and mint.