Inspiration for Creating Healthy Home-Cooked Food Every Day

By RUTH LAURENT-KOCHER | Contributing Writer

This month’s recipe celebrates all the freshness of spring, and the abundance of healthy fruits and vegetables, including asparagus.

People seem to either love—or be happy to leave—asparagus. For me it requires a lemony, buttery sauce if I am eating it as a side with a meal, but tossed together as part of this flavorful pasta, it is delicious.

Asparagus is packed full of nutritional value, and is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, especially folate and vitamins A, C and K—essential for blood and bone health.

In just 30 minutes, you can make a healthy, lighter, easy version of a traditional creamy carbonara. Filled with fresh spring vegetables, cooked in a satisfyingly creamy Parmesan sauce, it is so easy it makes a great weekday solution for dinner.

Ingredients:
Serves 4 to 6

• 5 oz pack of cubed pancetta (for a vegetarian version, replace pancetta with one large zucchini or yellow squash, diced)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped or finely minced
• 1½ cups of fresh peas (frozen peas if you can’t get fresh)
• 1 small bunch of asparagus, sliced into small pieces, little tops left whole
• 8 oz carton of white mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp white wine
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp of Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 to 6 cups dried penne or fusilli (or gluten-free alternative)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan, add onion and garlic, and pan-fry for three to five minutes until soft.
2. Put on hot water and cook pasta for 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add white wine to onions with pancetta, asparagus, mushrooms and fresh peas, (if using frozen, hold back for five minutes, then add), and dried herbs; cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are al-dente/not too soft.
4. Add cream and Parmesan plus salt and pepper and stir well. Cook on low heat for three to five minutes; add more cream if you want a creamier sauce, or add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce.
5. Drain pasta and serve in a large bowl; mix in the butter, pour in the sauce mixture and stir well.
6. Serve directly from a large bowl with fresh grated Parmesan and fresh baguette slices, or, even better, toasty garlic bread on the side.

Palisadian Ruth Laurent-Kocher brings executive function to her personal passion for healthy home-cooked food in her first book, “Step Up To Dinner”—a “how-to” guide to meal planning, plus 30 favorite recipes to inspire you. To buy a copy, arrange a group workshop or book a private consultation, email ruth@uptotheplate.org or go to uptotheplate.org, and follow Ruth on Instagram @upto_theplate.