Pasta La Vista, Winter! Hello, Spring!

Spring is here and we couldn’t be happier to (finally) be going green! We were so inspired by the change of seasons that we decided to create a light and healthy pasta dish with Banza Chickpea Pasta that’s perfect room temp for an afternoon picnic or heated up for an evening dinner! N ot only does the Banza pasta have more protein, more fiber and less carbs than regular pasta, it tastes just as good without the guilt!

This dish is an easy way to indulge after a long day of work and incorporates the spring veggies that we’ve been missing. Plus, it only takes about 30 minutes from prep to plate and there’s nothing we love more than a quick and simple yet delicious meal! Happy spring-ing 🙂

Our “Spring-ing into the Season” Pasta

You’ll Need:

1 box Banza Chickpea Pasta

3 bulbs spring onion, chopped

1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped

1/2 cup arugula

1 cup creme fraiche

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package crimini OR baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons chives, chopped

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

3 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

First you’ll bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus by cooking it for 1 minute then removing it from the boiling water and adding it to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Using the same pot of boiling water, cook the Banza Chickpea Pasta (according to the cooking instructions on the box) and once cooked, set aside. Save about 1 and 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid from the pot to mix in later.

Next you’ll heat the olive oil in a large pot or skillet. Once warm, add in the chopped spring onions and cook for 1–2 minutes. Then add in the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Next add in garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding in salt and pepper. It should be about a teaspoon of both salt and pepper but add a little at a time to combine with the onions, mushrooms and garlic.

Then you’ll add in the creme fraiche, 1 cup of the cooking liquid that you set aside earlier and the lemon zest. Bring to a simmer and mix well. Add in the cooked pasta and the other 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Cook for 2–3 minutes making sure that all of the pasta is coated. Add more cooking liquid as needed. Finally, add your peas, asparagus, lemon juice and salt and pepper (to your taste) and mix well. Plate pasta and garnish with arugula, toasted pine nuts and chives.

Pro tip: Serve your pasta with grilled chicken or steak as your protein! There’s nothing better on a warm spring night than a light and tasty meal!

Originally published at http://blog.foodtoeat.com on April 18, 2019.