Kitchen Sink Spring Pasta
Farmers market season is upon us. Brace yourselves.
During my first trip to the farmers market this season, I was tempted to buy literally everything there. The sun was shining, the veggies were plump and fresh, and I was living my best life. So, naturally, I bought an abundance of food with no recipe plan in mind, leaving me with a fridge full of a random assortment of spring produce.
The haul amounted to a couple of beets, a bunch of asparagus, a hefty leek, some radishes and bundle of spinach. I wanted to incorporate all these things into a recipe for the blog, but I didn't want you to be limited by my veggie selection - I wanted you to get high on your own farmers market. And so this recipe was born. Rather than calling for exact amounts of certain veggies, I left this recipe super open. Just gather up 5 cups of your favorite spring-time pals and you’re good to go.
The goat cheese and lemon in this recipe pack a flavor punch but can pair wonderfully with any spring veg you choose. If you have herbs, I'm sure something light like chives or tarragon would work perfectly in this dish also. Really, there are no rules to this pasta. Just roast your veg, boil your pasta and toss it all together. Easy peasy.
Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Makes: About 12 cups pasta
Serves: 10 people
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
About 5 cups (4 lbs) spring vegetables (I used asparagus, beets, leeks and radishes)
3 loosely packed cups leafy greens
1 pound rotini pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz goat cheese crumbles
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Steps
Preheat oven to 400 F and put a large pot of salted water on to boil over medium high heat. Wash and chop vegetables (excluding leafy greens) into 1-inch pieces. Lightly coat vegetables with oil, sprinkle with salt and transfer to a large baking tray. If you're using red beets, I suggest putting them on a separate baking tray so their color doesn't leech onto the other veggies. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until starting to brown, stirring halfway.
When the water comes to a boil, cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, combine the olive oil, goat cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1-2 cups pasta water and strain. Return pasta to pot over low heat and add in the leafy greens, torn into 2-inch pieces, goat cheese mixture and roasted vegetables. Stir until greens are wilted and goat cheese has melted. Add reserved pasta water as needed for desired consistency. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with extra goat cheese and lemon zest. Eat up!
Sustainability tips
Vegetables and lemon: Make this dish in late spring because that is when all the produce in this dish are in season. For maximum sustainability, buy organic and as locally as possible. This will ensure that your vegetables and lemon don’t contribute to pesticide contamination or excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.
Olive Oil: Buy fair trade and/or organic olive oil for maximum sustainability. Read all about it in my sustainable cooking oils post!
Goat Cheese: Local goat cheese is your best bet here. Buying locally means that your cheese will be less likely to have weird preservatives, won’t release as many GHGs during travel and will support your local economy.