Whole Wheat Pappardelle with Cherry Tomatoes, Asparagus, Squash, and Spinach

Making pasta from scratch may take a bit of extra time, but it is always worth the effort. And, if you have a wonderful hand-cranked pasta machine like I do (I have the Marcato line) then it's actually not so bad. From start to finish I was able to put this dish together in about 3 hours by myself. With two hands going at once you could have a homemade pasta dinner in probably under two hours - not too bad at all! The fresh pasta also doesn't just taste better. I'm able to control exactly what goes into it, using whole wheat flour (make sure you compare - not all 'whole wheat' labels mean the same thing and you want some whole grains in there) and no salt. I also make sure to use farm fresh eggs. However, you could also substitute in egg beaters to make it even healthier.

This dish served as a stand-alone meal, full of fresh vegetables. I used cherry tomatoes, spinach, summer squash, and asparagus. However, I was simply picking the freshest produce available based on the season. Feel free to mix and match. The end goal is to stuff this dish full of delicious and healthy vegetables for a tantalizing summer meal. Cook with the white wine you want to drink to pair perfectly and eat out on a porch to enjoy those first warm spring evenings.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 3 hours
Cost: $24.35



Whole Wheat Pappardelle with Cherry Tomatoes, Asparagus, Squash, and Spinach
Ingredients:
1.25 c whole wheat flour
1.25 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
3 eggs
3 garlic cloves minced
2 c asparagus, 1" pieces
1.5 c summer squash, sliced
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1 package spinach
1/2 c white wine
1/2 tsp oregano, dried
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp rosemary olive oil

First, prepare the pasta dough. Mix 1 cup of each flour together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add 2 tsp olive oil and eggs. Mix and then knead as it forms a dough. Continue to add the remaining 1/2 c total of the two flours as you need to keep the dough from sticking. (If you don't need it all right now, don't use it!) Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and a bit elastic. Then, set aside for 30-45 minutes for the dough to rest.

At this point you can prep all the veggies but you won't want to start the cooking process quite yet since it comes together very quickly once the pasta is cut.

When the dough is done resting take a small handful and knead until that piece is no longer sticky (add some of the remaining flour if needed.) When the dough is ready, pound it lightly with your fist into a somewhat flat, but thick piece. Run it through your pasta machine on the widest setting. Follow the pasta machine instructions and continue to prepare the sheet until you have a flat piece of pasta. I run it on the 7 setting as the thinnest since this will be a stand-alone pasta and not stuffed.

Once you have a sheet of pasta, run it through the pappardelle attachment. Hang the cut pasta on a pasta rack (or whatever you have to substitute) to let it dry slightly.

Bring a pot of water to a light but energetic boil. Add the fresh pasta sheets and boil for just 3-4 minutes. Then drain, reserving 1/4 c of cooking liquid. Rinse lightly to keep the noodles from sticking to each other.

Heat the remaining 4 tsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, stirring to keep from burning. Add the asparagus and squash. Saute for another 3-4 minutes. The vegetables should become crisp-tender. Add the cherry tomatoes, spinach, and white wine. Cover. Cook for 2 more minutes. Stir and then put the cover back on for one more minute. The spinach should be fairly wilted.

Pour the reserved 1/4 c of cooking liquid into the pan. Add the oregano, black pepper, and rosemary olive oil. Stir until combined, about 30 seconds of cooking time. Add the drain pasta noodles. Toss to coat and remove from the heat. Enjoy right away. There won't be a lot of visible sauce but the vegetables would have soaked up the various flavors.

Servings:6
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition:calories 305; carbs 45g; fat 9g; protein 12g; sodium 53mg; iron 23mg