In the summer, one of my favorite activities is dining and drinking outdoors.
Whether it’s a rooftop lounge, a sidewalk cafe or a balcony overlooking a parking lot, there is something that just feels good about the warm summer breeze that makes the city air seem less polluted, fresher, hopeful.
There is also something that feels even better than eating and drinking in the above warm summer breeze.
As much as I like being outside, I wouldn’t call myself outdoors-y.
I’ve never been camping, I would rather get a massage than go for a hike and I would probably need to be bribed with large sums of cash in order to spend a significant amount of time in an environment where I’d have limited access to running water and indoor plumbing.
In the spring and summer, I tend to do two things: eat lunch or dinner outdoors as often as possible and avoid heavy, cheese-laden, baked pasta dishes that can weigh you down.
I mean, sure, I guess I eat them when they’re put in front of me, but let’s think about it.
Not too many people sit poolside eating lasagna.
I do think pasta is a good summertime dinner, when paired with a simple sauce and fresh vegetables.
You don’t need to turn on the oven or dirty multiple dishes. For this dish, I used one pot and one pan and felt little guilt eating it as I thumbed through the J. Crew catalogue checking out bathing suits.
- 4 ounces uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 large bunch asparagus, rinsed, stalks trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 large artichoke hearts (no added oil), chopped
- ¼ teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ - ½ cup skim milk
- ¼ cup part skim ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- Shaved parmesan cheese, as desired
- Prepare pasta according to directions on package. Cook until al dente and drain. Set aside.
- Heat garlic and olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and sauté until bright green and firm. Add artichokes. Reduce heat to low, add milk and ricotta cheese and stir continuously until a thick sauce begins to form.
- Continue to cook for about 3-4 minutes, coating asparagus evenly. Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese; stir until incorporated. Add pasta and stir to coat pasta with sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes to heat thoroughly and combine. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper, if desired.
What’s your favorite way to eat pasta in the summertime?
22 Comments
Angie
February 1, 2010 at 6:04 pmFound your blog a few weeks ago, and just made this pasta dish. YUM! I love that a lot of your recipes are easy to make pastas and stews, my favorites! Also love that you have your recipes organized by category, very helpful. Keep up the good work.
p.s. its rainy and grey outside, this taste really great indoors too!
Susan
June 3, 2009 at 3:00 amI have emailed this to myself from my google reader so I can remember to make it- it looks awesome.
Jamie
June 2, 2009 at 3:00 amI am so with you on all of what you say! I would so much rather be eating this pasta dish and thumbing through catalogues than hiking or camping any day!
I just posted : Artichoke and Asparagus Risotto, so it looks like we think alike on ALL counts! Yay!
This dish for two would be so perfct for hubby and I this summer. It looks so delicious! I’ll be making this!
Kate
June 2, 2009 at 3:00 amI would rather put on a sweatshirt against the night air than sit inside during the summer time. Nothing like a glass of wine on the patio, sparkling candles and a light breeze. Of course, AND good food.
Kerstin
June 2, 2009 at 3:00 amLooks fantastic! I love asparagus and agree eating outside in the summer is just so enjoyable.
lisa (dandysugar)
June 2, 2009 at 3:00 amThis is a great pasta dish, tasty and so easy to prepare. I love to dine outdoors too, especially when those warm summer nights crop up- I always love a good pasta meal, any season!
Erica
June 2, 2009 at 3:00 amI made this tonight and it was awesome. This is definitely going to become a weekday staple.
Sunny
June 1, 2009 at 3:00 amoh wow, this dish looks great! especially with the asparagus!! spaghetti with marinara is always a classic favorite for me, summer or winter.
Juliana
June 1, 2009 at 3:00 amYummie! This pasta looks delicious…very creamy, again very yummie! Nice pictures!
thatShortChick
June 1, 2009 at 3:00 ami love pasta salad (sorry, NO olives!) or my mom’s macaroni salad in the summer.
but that pasta dish looks super yummy.
Luci
June 1, 2009 at 3:00 amThis pasta dish looks delicious, I will definately be making it soon!
I have to admit, I love pasta salad in the summer…my own! It contains a variety of veggies, depending on what’s on hand, plus maybe some olives, or even some cubes of cheese. The best part…. sauteed onions! It makes the dish.
It’s dressed with a bottle salad dressing, and using the fat free kind works great!
Sophie
June 1, 2009 at 3:00 amMMMMMM…again Maris!I think that ricotta pairs beautifully with fresh green vegetables! It is a lovelmy dinner!
Catherine
June 1, 2009 at 3:00 amThat’s it. I’m making this pasta this week. Looks simple and fantastic! (Btw, thanks for the link in your Artos post!)
Shani
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amCan’t wait to try this one!
Liz
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amMy boyfriend loves camping and being outdoorsy so within the past five years I’ve definitely stretched myself in the name of compromise. We go camping about once a year and hiking every few months. Now, we definitely don’t “rough it” as much as most campers, but it’s big steps for me! Despite that, I still hate eating outside at restaurants or in general. Ironic, I know.
I’ve never had artichokes other than in dip, but this looks really good; I’ll have to try it!
ksgoodeats
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amI love the combo of asparagus and artichoke! In Italy I had a lasagna that was just like that (no red sauce, nice and creamy).
kat
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amA nice simple dish with perfectly yummy veggies
Leslie
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amI am sooo with you. Camoing and me dont mix. Unless you call camping in a 42′ Prevost.
Love your pasta!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amLovely way to use asparagus — and I’ll bet this even tastes good cold, too, which makes it perfect for lunch the next day. I like how you’ve used skim milk and part-skim ricotta to lighten it up. (And you should never feel guilty about browsing through the J. Crew catalog!)
Pearl
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amlooks delicious!
Melissa
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amCaprese pasta takes the cake for me in the summertime and any time, though of course it’s much better for those couple of months.
And this? With asparagus and artichokes? Come to mama. Those are a magic combination, especially with cheesy, creamy pasta. Awesome.
Elyse
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 amThis pasta dish looks delicious!! I totally know what you mean about the indoor vs. outdoor eating. It’s amazing how our cuisines can be so affected by the weather outside. Annnnyway, delicious dish!!