Bowtie Pasta with Asparagus and Snow Peas the Recipe

Here is the recipe for the meal I made and talked about below.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound bacon (center-cut is less fatty)
  
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound bow-tie pasta (I used tri-color)
  
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• Additional freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
In small skillet fry the bacon. Set aside to cool.
Add asparagus to large pot of boiling salted water. Cook until just crisp-tender. Transfer to bowl of cold water using slotted spoon. Cool asparagus slightly and drain. Add pasta to same pot of water and boil until just tender but still firm to bite. Add sugar snap peas and boil 2 minutes. While they boil break bacon into crumbs. Add asparagus to the pot and heat through. Drain well. Return pasta-vegetable mixture to pot. Add oil, bacon, beans and toss to coat. Add 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese separately.

This dish is great because you can make almost all of it in one pot. Plus, it uses the ingredients that are in season (in the spring). I also like that you get alot of veggies (but they aren't plain) and plenty of protein (from the beans mostly) that you are filled.

Cooking

I decided I would like to start posting favorite meals that I make for dinner. Cooking is something I really love doing and its a part of myself I like to share. I think it can be a great expression of love. I love how sharing a meal with people can really bring down walls. I think it can be kind of a sacred, spiritual disicipline. In the ancient world hospitality was taken far more seriously than it is today and sharing a meal was a high honor and sign of alliance and friendship.

I also think that feeding our bodies with healthy things that fuel us is a way to honor God, who created and gave us our bodies. I know not everyone is always perfectly thrilled with their bodies (myself included); sometimes we dont treat them with reverance. I think every meal can be an opportunity to choose to honor our bodies and the Lord.

Now that I am the cook for our family I really appreciate how my mom always showed love for me by making a home cooked meal most nights. She always made something delicious and healthy (even if we complained about the healthy parts). :) Mommy - Thanks for cultivating a love for fruits and veggies and educating me on a healthy diet!

I am beginning to learn that cooking healthy doesn't have to be expensive...though I have to admit that a bundle of fresh fruits and vegetables does cost more than a box of Twinkies. :)

Here is one of the meals I made this week that was particularly healthy and simple to make. *I will include the recipe in the next blog. Its called Bowtie Pasta with Asparagus and Snow Peas.

It also was cheap because all the veggies are in season. Which, if you are looking to learn more about buying and cooking things in season (it can save you a bundle and spice up your meals) I found a pretty good guide at http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap. Epicurious.com also has some fantastic recipes, but you have to be selective, some are more expensive and time consuming than I prefer.

I have been trying to find a local farmers market or produce stand but so far I haven't had much luck. I think there are more in the summer. A friend of mine encouraged me to start buying local if I can. It totally makes sense because then you are supporting the local economy, getting the freshest produce (often organic too), and keeping down the usage of fossil fuels (which helps everybody!).

Let me know what you think.