Pasta tiiime! It’s been awhile since we had a vegetarian pasta party, no? I love throwing shrimp and meatballs on pasta, but those both seemed overwhelming to the flavors I was envisioning for this pasta. I would have loved to roast the asparagus and grape tomatoes for this recipe, but there was no way I was turning on the oven during this heat wave that Denver is riding.
Yesterday was finally tolerable, but I almost melted this weekend walking around the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. The rest of the weekend was spent in shorts and tank tops drinking lemonade with 15 ice cubes, eating snacks and appetizer food instead of dinner, and playing Settlers of Catan in the shade of a tree in Cheesman Park. Is anyone else obsessed with that game? I’ve won about 4 times out of the 6 times I’ve played the game… it is such a puzzle and I think my brain loves it.
P.S. If you live in Denver, and want to experience Settlers, let me know… because it’s not a 2 player game and I want to play (#allidoiswin) more often.
I have been adding feta to everything for the past few weeks because I can’t get over its delicious tangy flavor, and it melts ever so slightly onto the warm pasta and asparagus in this recipe. White beans get warm and creamy when sauteed with a little olive oil, bringing this tasty pasta together in one pot on the stove. Throw in cherry tomatoes, mint, and lemon juice, and you’ve got a fabulous pasta in 15 minutes!
- 4 ounces orecchiette (1.5 cups dry pasta)
- 2 cups asparagus
- 1 cup great northern beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup mint
- ¼ cup feta
- ½ lemon
- Begin cooking pasta per package instructions. 2 minutes before the pasta is finished, add chopped fresh asparagus to the boiling water with the cooking pasta. Drain pasta and asparagus together.
- In the empty pasta pot, add olive oil, salt and pepper, and white beans. Sautee until warm.
- Add pasta and asparagus back to the pot with chopped grape tomatoes, sliced mint, crumbled feta, and the juice of half a lemon. Toss together and serve warm or chilled.
Anybody in the mood for a bright and summery pasta chock full of delicious add-ins? I used skinny asparagus for this recipe so it would get tender quickly, but adjust cooking time for different pasta or fat asparagus stalks. I loved this pasta right off the stove (notice that there are only 2 pictured servings..?), but it was also delicious at room temperature.
How have you been surviving the beginning of summer and the heat it brings? Even though I complain, I am so happy to have the long daylight hours, my cravings for bright and light flavored meals, and all the froyo!
Marisa
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
Beautiful salad – looks so cool and refreshing! Pinned it 🙂
Marisa says
Thank you for pinning, Anne!
Emily @ Zen & Spice says
This looks SO good! I need to start cooking more with asparagus… By the way, your pictures are so gorgeous. I love all the bright colors and accessories in these. Whats your secret?? 🙂
Marisa says
Hi Emily, thank you for commenting on the photos! I am working hard to improve my food photography, and I try to keep it simple- using ingredients as props, little plates, a fork/napkin here or there. I don’t have a ton of room to keep food props so it’s a work in progress 😉
gretchen | kumquat says
such a beautifully fresh plate of delicious summer ingredients!
Marisa says
Agreed – thanks Gretchen!
Julia says
All I’ve been craving lately are straight vegetables, so this meal is calling to me! I bet it’s wonderful both hot and cold and it’s just so vibrant and healthy. Stay cool over there!
Marisa says
Yes, I have also been packing veggies into every meal I can! I ate the leftovers cold and they were equally good 😀
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
Such a lovely and light pasta dish! I’ll need to try this soon!
Marisa says
Thanks Lisa! Let me know if you try it and what you think of the flavor combo – I think you’ll love the feta and mint!
Heather @ FITaspire says
This looks so fresh & delicious – perfect summer pasta!
Marisa says
Thanks Heather, I appreciate you pinning the recipe! I loved using the smaller pasta noodles in this recipe because they catch all the ribboned mint and melty feta.
Kellie @ The Suburban Soapbox says
This looks fantastic! I have a ton of mint to use, I will definitely be making this soon!
Cassie says
This looks so good!! I usually don’t eat pasta but I have some quinoa/brown rice pasta… ahhh nothing compares to orchietta though, wah!
Marisa says
I promise it would be just as good with quinoa/brown rice pasta! I eat pasta very rarely these days too, but I think it can make it’s way into a balanced meal by having a portion of this veggie-packed pasta (just 1/2 cup per serving) with a tasty salad or more veggies!
Norine says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious, I woudn’t change a thing. Do you have an estimate on calorie count per serving? Thank you for posting!
Marisa says
Hi Norine! I put this into MyFitnessPal’s recipe nutrition calculator and got 312 calories per serving if you follow the recipe for 3 servings. Thank you for your positive feedback – I love hearing that you made it and enjoyed it!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says
This pasta looks divine. It is fraught with some of my favorite flavors, and the mint is such a clever idea. Your pictures are beautiful too. Thanks for sharing.
Marisa says
Thanks Meghan – I was so lucky to grab a bunch of mint from a friend’s garden and wanted to showcase it!