Garden linguini alfredo
I wish the greens that went into this dish were from my actual garden...alas, we are still buried in snow and are likely to be until July. Since I can't have green in my life outside, I'm doing my best to fill the void on the dinner table.
I love fettuccine alfredo, but what I don't like about it is how I feel afterwards - very heavy, like I ate a ton of bricks. I mean it IS fettuccine alfredo we're talking about, so what do I expect after eating something so indulgent? With this recipe, I was able to lighten up a comfort food dish and make it even more "healthy" by adding in a bunch of veggies.
Here's a little secret - the only reason this is a linguine alfredo is because that was the pasta I had on hand. I see no reason not to make a dish when you don't have all the ingredients - it just forces you to get a little creative. Linguini for fettuccine is certainly not earth shattering to say the least, but I also swapped in some English peas, caramelized up some shallots, dialed back the asparagus a little bit, and dressed the final dish with chives. As the original recipe suggests, you can also add just herbs and no veggies, or throw in some ham; I think broccoli or wilted spinach would go well, too. Green it up to your heart's content!
Garden linguini alfredo
Adapted from Food & Wine
Time: About 45 minutes (much of this was from caramelizing the shallots so if you aren't adding those, this will take no time at all)
Level: Easy
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
Salt and pepper
Pinch of sugar
1/2 pound asparagus
10 ounces English peas (or use any old peas)
3/4 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Directions
Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium low heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar and cook for at least another 10-15 minutes. You want the shallots to be a deep brown color, but keep the heat on the lower side so they do not char or burn.
Meanwhile, get a large pot of salted water boiling.
Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus and discard. Chop the remaining stalks into roughly 1-inch pieces.
Cook the linguini in the boiling water until almost al dente (according to the package directions). Add the asparagus into the pot of pasta/water and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Then add in the peas and cook for 1 minute.
Note about the peas - mine were freshly shelled English peas (gotta love Trader Joe's) - if you're using frozen peas, they will likely need more than a minute in the boiling water. Maybe throw them in a minute after you add in the asparagus.
Drain the pasta and veggies. Add everything back into the pot (pasta, veggies, shallots) and toss with butter, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and pecorino. Be sure to taste the dish to see if you need to add any additional salt/pepper.
Serve in bowls; top with chives and additional cheese.
Mangia!