Agnolotti With Creamy Pesto Peas And Asparagus Food

CREAMY PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS & PEAS

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following the pack instructions. Two minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the asparagus and peas. Boil everything together for the final 2 mins, then scoop out and reserve a cup of the cooking liquid from the pan before draining the pasta and veg.
• Return the pasta and veg to the pan and add the lemon zest, soft cheese and seasoning. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PESTO

Steps:

• Put well-seasoned stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
• Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir until it is no longer visible in the pan. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often. After 10 minutes, add asparagus and continue to stir and add stock for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through but still al dente.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

SPRING PESTO PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add asparagus. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain.
• Bring the same pot of water back up to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 11 minutes, or until al dente. Then drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of cooking water.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, and basil pesto. Toss until pasta is evenly coated with pesto. If the sauce is too thick, begin pouring in some reserved pasta water (about 2 tablespoons at a time) until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add chives, lemon zest, and mozzarella, and stir until just combined.
• Divide pasta into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. If eating immediately, serve hot. You can also serve it cold or at room temperature as a delicious vegetarian pasta salad.

GNOCCHI WITH ASPARAGUS & OLIVES IN A CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bread Crumb Topping -- Make this first and then just set it off to the side. In a small dry saute pan, add the breadcrumbs and bring to medium high heat. You just want to toast them and they don't take long so keep an eye on them. Make sure to keep stirring them. You could easily make your own bread crumbs for this, but I used store bought Italian seasoned bread crumbs which saved some time. Once the bread crumbs are toasted and golden brown, transfer to a small bowl and mix with the olive oil and parmesan cheese.
• Vegetables -- In a large pot of salted boiling water (on a medium boil), add the asparagus and cook until tender. About 3-5 minutes. It depends on how thick your asparagus is. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to set the color and to stop the cooking. It just needs a minute in the water, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to dry.
• Gnocchi -- Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain well and return to the pot (keep the heat on medium / medium low.
• Finish -- Add the cream, pesto, olives, and onions to the gnocchi and cook another 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through. Check for seasoning and add any additional salt or pepper if needed. Then add in the asparagus, lemon zest and toss lightly.
• Serve -- Transfer to a serving platter and top with the toasted bread crumbs and a scoop of the ricotta cheese. Garnish with the lemon slices from the half of lemon you did not zest. ENJOY!
• Add a fresh cucumber and tomato salad for a nice simple side dish.

AGNOLOTTI WITH SWEET PEAS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Combine 1/2 cup cream (for fresh peas) or 3 tablespoons cream (for frozen), sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Add peas and cook until tender, about 10 minutes for fresh and 3 minutes for frozen. Transfer mixture to processor and purée until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl; mix in both cheeses and thyme. Chill filling at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• For piedmontese pasta dough:
• Blend flour and salt in processor. Add yolks, whole egg, and olive oil; process until soft dough forms, adding water by tablespoonfuls if dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Turn pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece into rectangle. Cover remaining dough pieces with plastic wrap. Run dough through machine 4 times. Adjust machine to next narrower setting. Run dough through machine 4 times. Repeat running dough strip through machine 4 times on each narrower setting, cutting dough strip in half crosswise for easier handling when strip becomes very long and dusting dough with flour as needed if sticky. Continue rolling until pasta strips are 22 to 24 inches long, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Repeat rolling with remaining 3 dough pieces. Let dough strips dry slightly on floured work surface until no longer sticky to touch for easier handling, about 10 minutes.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; dust lightly with flour. Cut each dough strip into 3-inch squares (about 8 from each dough strip). Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Brush 2 adjacent dough edges with water; fold 1 long side over filling, enclosing filling and pressing to seal, forming rectangle. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, arranging in single layer. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover with towel and let stand at room temperature.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; remove from heat. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add half of agnolotti and cook just until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer agnolotti to large sieve and drain well, then add to skillet with butter. Repeat with remaining agnolotti. Toss agnolotti over medium-high heat until coated with butter and heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lightly with chopped thyme. Divide among 6 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan shavings and serve.