For me, the splendour of cooking during the summer stems from an abundance of fresh herbs. Be it basil or thyme, chives or parsley, dill or mint, the immediate burst of flavour is ever a delight. As a child, I petitioned my mother for years to plant a herb garden, which she did. Ever since, it has been a feature in our garden and we are spoiled throughout the summer by our potted herbs.
This week, Ottawa has been steamy – hitting over 30 degrees celsius most days. After my daily 30 km commute, I am often ready for light fare that is simultaneously filling and tasting of summer. Inspired by Silverpalate, my family has long enjoyed this pasta recipe that screams summer. Delicate angel hair pasta is coated in a creamy bechamel, infused with a medley of fresh herbs and complemented by spring asparagus and soft peas. The beauty of this dish comes from its versatility – any combination of herbs will do! So on Monday, craving a summery meal, I walked around our garden picking a generous handful of fresh herbs to whip up this dish. Served with ripe tomatoes and the last-of-the-season strawberries in a spinach salad, this was truly a meal to savour!
Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Herbs
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1 box of angel hair pasta (about 350 grams) – I used whole wheat and it was delicious
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 bunch of asparagus, ends removed, sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 cups of frozen peas
2 cups of any fresh herb combination, finely chopped (recommended include basil, parsley, dill, thyme, chives, oregano, and coriander)
Directions:
Cook the angel hair pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water. Blanch the asparagus and peas with the pasta for the last 90 seconds of cooking.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour and garlic and cook until bubbly and fragrant. Whisk in the milk. Bring the bechamel to a simmer, reducing for 3-5 minutes. Season to your liking with salt and pepper. Remove the cream sauce from the heat, and gently stir in the Parmesan and fresh herbs. Toss the pasta and vegetables to coat. Divine served with fresh tomatoes!
– Catherine
Omigosh YUMM!!! I love that it’s loaded with veggies! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’m new to blogging, and I love that there’s a foodie community. If you have time, please let me know if you have any advice for my blog: http://shecooksandheeats.wordpress.com/ 🙂
Your blog looks like much fun! I love the artsy photos and hope you have much fun whipping up a cooking storm 🙂 – Catherine
Great idea, Catherine, angel hair is my favorite! The quinoa salad was also a hit in this heat.
Thanks Coleen! I agree – angel hair pasta is quite special. Looks like tomorrow will be the worst of the heat, so hopefully you and Bill are surviving Ottawa!