Spring Pasta & Salad

Hello.

Those of you who have stopped by recently may have noticed that nothing has been cooking around here lately, and you would be right. As I wrote on my Facebook page, I (accidentally) sliced off parts of two fingertips, and was instructed by my doctor to stop making food for a good week or so. That was a hard message to swallow. Oh, how I've struggled. My life has been turned upside down. Some days I don't even bother jogging. 

I may be leaning towards the dramatic, but seriously, every time I've attempted to make anything remotely resembling food, I've been sufficiently discouraged by shots of pain in my fingers. Sigh. My mother suggested it might be nice to get a small break from cooking. She just doesn't get it.

Still, I was happy to discover that I could create small delights, and this is what I made for lunch today. My easy, pain-free pasta. Literally. I thought it might make sense to share it, in part because I want you to have something to cook if ever you find your fingers bandaged up like a mummy. And also because it was quite good. It's a very simple vegetarian pasta and salad recipe. After my experiment with fasting during Lent I've found I don't care much for meat and large amounts of milk/cream anymore, so vegetables have taken up more and more space in my diet – a good thing, always.

The best part about this pasta is that, at least to me, it tastes of Spring. A pasta fit for the season with a bit of cheese, a handful of spinach, fresh herbs, capers, roasted cherry tomatoes and a dash of goat milk. As for the salad, it fits nicely with the pasta – fresh spinach with feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, olives; all drizzled with walnut oil. They make a great couple. I made another version yesterday with a handful of alfalfa sprouts, julienned carrots, lemon and Greek yoghurt. But I like this version better. 

Have a great weekend friends :)  

Spring Pasta Original recipe by © Marion Fløysvik This recipe makes enough for four people, or three very hungry people. I used whole-wheat spaghetti, but you can use egg noodles, fettuccine or regular spaghetti as well, as you like. As for the herbs, I used basil, rosemary and tarragon, because those are the only fresh herbs I grow at the moment, but again, you can use any kind of herb, depending on what is available and what you prefer. *Ingredients* 500 g. (17.6 oz) cooked spaghetti 400 ml. (1 2/3 cups) goat milk 450 g. (2 cups) spinach, rinsed and cleaned 200 g. (3 cups) broccoli, rinsed and roughly chopped 4 tbsp. capers 225 g. (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, sliced and roasted* 80 g. (1 cup) Manchego cheese, grated 2 tbsp. butter, unsalted 2 tbsp. olive oil Chopped fresh herbs, to your taste Sea salt and pepper *To roast the tomatoes, lay the sliced tomatoes on a roasting pan, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Roast at 220°C (430°F) for 15-20 minutes. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and olive together over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and sauté for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt. Add the spinach and sauté for a minute or so. Add the capers and cherry tomatoes. Remove around one-third of the vegetables, then add the spaghetti. Turn down heat to medium-low, and add the crème fraîche. Mix well together, cover and cook for one or two minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and divide between four plates. Top wth remaining vegetables and herbs. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.  ~~~ Spring Salad Original recipe by © Marion Fløysvik *Ingredients* 500 g. (2 ½ cups) spinach, cleaned and rinsed 150 g. (5 oz.) pomegranate seeds 100 g. (3 ½ oz.) feta cheese, in small cubes 150 g. (6 oz.) roasted walnut, roughly chopped 3 tbsp. walnut oil 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar Sea salt and pepper In a serving bowl, mix the spinach, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese and roasted walnuts together. Mix the walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper together in a small jar or bowl. Pour over salad, and coat evenly.

Vårpasta Oppskrift av © Marion Fløysvik Denne oppskrifta er berekna på fire, eller tre veldig svoltne, personar. Eg brukte fullkornspaghetti, men du kan òg bruka eggenudlar, fettucine eller vanleg spaghetti. Når det gjeld urtene, brukte eg basilikum, rosmarin og estragon, for det er desse eg veks sjølv. Men du må gjerna bruka andre ferske urter. *Ingrediensar* 400 g. kokt spagetti 300 ml. geitemjølk 450 g. spinat, rensa 200 g. brokkoli, rensa og skore i betar 4 ms. kapers 225 g. cherrytomatar, delt i to og bakte* 80 g. Manchegoost, raspa 2 ms. smør 2 ms. olivenolje Ferske urter, hakka Havsalt og pepar *Legg tomatdelane på eit steikebrett med bakepapir. Hell på olivenolje og strø med havsalt og pepar. Steik i omnen i 15-20 minutt ved 220°C. Smelt smøret med olja i ei sautépanne over middelsvarme. Ha i brokkolien og steik i 5-10 minutt. Smak til med havsalt. Ha i spinaten og steik i omlag eitt minutt. Ha i kapersen og cherrytomatane. Ta omlag 1/3 av grønsakene or panna. Ha i spagettien, og skru ned varmen til låg. Ha i geitemjølka, dekk til panna og kok i 1-2 minutt. Smak til med salt og pepar, og fordel på fire tallerknar. Ha så på resten av grønsakene og urtene. Strø på litt ost, og server. ~~~ Vårsalat Oppskrift av © Marion Fløysvik *Ingrediensar* 500 g. spinat, rensa 150 g. granateplefrø 100 g. fetaost, i betar 150 g. steikte valnøtter 3 ms. valnøttolje 1 ms. balsamicoeddik Havsalt og pepar Bland spinaten, granateplefrøa, fetaosten og valnøttene saman i ein bolle. Bland vanlnøttolja, balsamicoedikken, havsaltet og peparen saman i ein liten bolle. Hell blandinga over grønsakene, og bland saman.