Let's Cook!

My good friend Emma recently showed me this fantastic cooking blog, called Smitten Kitchen. A few weeks ago we had a girls night and made asparagus, goat cheese, and lemon pasta; and watched 500 Days of Summer. I highly recommend both!

The Smitten Kitchen is located in NYC and is only a 42 square foot circa 1935 sort of half-galley kitchen (in fewer words... it's TINY!!). After looking through a few of her other recipes I was surely smitten. :) If she can whip up these fabulous culinary creations in such a small space, then surely I can follow suit.

I think my next attempt will be the Gluten-Free Chocolate Financiers. Mmmm.

Here's the recipe for the Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta!

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta

Adapted from Bon Appetit

As it turns out, goat cheese makes a really great quick, creamy pasta sauce. And whether you blanche your pasta with asparagus or you swap in fava beans or string beans or seriously, you name it, this comes together so quickly that I forgave it for not winning any beauty contests.

Serves 6

1 pound spiral-shaped pasta

1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish

1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)

Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)

Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season genersously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick. (We did.)

Follow the Smitten Kitchen Blog and show your support!! I plan on it!

Love Love Love,

K