Pasta with asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese

 

Stir fry the veggies and add to a pot of cooked pasta for an easy weekday meal

Pasta with Fresh Basil and Asparagus

If you love mushrooms and asparagus, you will love this easy to-make dish. This recipe is fast to prepare and yummy to eat.

Serves 4

1 pound (454 g) linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or less if you prefer less heat
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
2 small tomatoes, diced small
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

Heat water to boil in a big pot.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté five minutes. 

Start cooking the linguine in the pot of boiling water according to the package’s instructions.

Meanwhile, add red pepper flakes and mushrooms to the onion mixture and sauté four more minutes. If the pan gets dry, you can add some boiling water from the pasta pot.

Add tomatoes, asparagus, basil and mix all together. 

Turn down heat to medium, cover, and let simmer about four to five minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Drain the pasta. Add the pasta back into the big pot and add the vegetable mixture.

Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. 

Serve passing freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Other Easy Pasta Dishes To Try From The Blog:

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

Pasta with Garlic, Tuna, Capers and Pine nuts

Simple Pasta Carbonara

 

Rhubarb Cake with Lemon

This yummy rhubarb cake has fresh lemon zest and juice, which makes it deliciously tart. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and everyone will come back for seconds.

Serves 6

Fruit:

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch thick pieces (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar

Cake:

1/2 cup of soft butter 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream
Finely grated lemon zest from one medium-sized lemon (I like to use a microplane) plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Prepare a 8”x8”x2” pan by lining it with parchment paper.

Toss chopped rhubarb with 1/2 cup of sugar and set aside.

In a mixer, cream butter with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add the egg and beat until creamy.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking power and salt. 

Spoon the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream. Then add the lemon zest, juice and vanilla. Mix in the rhubarb.

Spoon into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.  
Let stand at least five minutes.

Other rhubarb recipes from the blog:

Rhubarb and Strawberry Cobbler

Rhubarb Apple Pecan Muffins

Rhubarb Strawberry Blueberry Cobbler

Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese

Don't let the cold spring rain deter you from thinking that it's not spring yet.  Spring brings new produce to the fruit and vegetables stands and the first to appear is asparagus. If you haven't try roasting it, try it. You will not be disappointed.

Serves 4

1 pound asparagus, washed and ends snapped off
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 
Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
Roast in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes until the asparagus are tender and charred in spots. Transfer the asparagus to a plate. Top with the toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Smelly Fact About Asparagus

It’s springtime and time to enjoy the pleasure of asparagus. But be warned, eating asparagus can cause some…aroma issues for some people. Yep, it can make your pee smell funny. 

Asparagus contains a sulphurous compound (which is also found in rotten eggs, onions and garlic) and when it breaks down in your digestive track it can result in a strange smell after using the facilities. This experience doesn’t happen to everyone mind you, just the lucky ones (myself included.) But don’t let this stop you from eating this sensational veggie. 

It’s springtime and time to enjoy fresh, local asparagus.  

 

Couscous with Fresh Mint and Parsley

If you are looking for a side dish to serve with your main meal, then look no further.  This is a fast couscous dish with cucumber, tomato, dried apricots, slivered almonds and a hint of cumin.  

Couscous with Pesto, Garbanzo Beans and Feta Cheese

If you love pesto, then you have to try this couscous recipe. There is a double punch of basil, both in the pesto and fresh pesto leaves. It is a quick and easy side dish to serve with fish or chicken.

Somewhat Healthy Cookies

You are going to love these peanut butter cookies. They are yummy and delightfully light. They are “somewhat” healthy because of the wheat bran and wheat germ. Plus, they are loaded with raisins, nuts, coconut and dates. 

Chicken Strips with Dipping Sauce

 

These chicken Strips made with corn flakes. It is an easy weekday meal to make for the family. It's a kid-friendly recipe with a honey dipping sauce. 

Chocolate Pudding Cake

This chocolate pudding cake is both chocolate cake and chocolate pudding! It's a yummy and easy dessert to make for any meal.

Vegetarian Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This lentil shepherd's pie uses green lentils, instead of the red lentils which makes it special. 

It's flavoured with fresh thyme, bay leaf, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. 

It's a pleasant dish which will definitely comfort you any day. 

Banana Sunflower Seed Muffins

Banana Sunflower Seed Muffins

I was all set to make pumpkin muffins for the family the other day, but then I realized I had no canned pumpkin! Dang it. 

Hunting around for Plan B I found some black frozen bananas in the freezer. Bingo! 

My husband hates to throw out black bananas, which is why there are bags and bags of them in the freezer. I’m not sure why he saves them. It’s not like he’s planning on baking pans of banana bread, because he certainly doesn’t bake…but I digress. 

I exchanged the pumpkin in the recipe for bananas, lowered the amount of sugar and added raisins. 

Here’s what I got.