The other day my significant other, Oliver, picked me up from the airport following my energizing visit to Seattle and Portland as part of my Superfood Snacks tour. As per our airport tradition, we made a quick pit-stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some healthy goodies … which became a mandatory trip after learning he had been existing primarily on a bread and jelly diet in the couple days that I was gone. Suddenly, his eyes lit up,
“Honey, we do have asparagus!”
I looked at him suspiciously. “Asparagus?”
“Asparagus!” He proclaimed proudly, as if the appearance of uneaten asparagus in our refrigerator made up for the bread binge. “We can make that tonight!”
So, that’s what we did.
Rotelle with Asparagus, Capers & Hemp Seeds
Pasta is the perfect canvas to show off seasonal produce, such as springtime asparagus. Hemp seeds provide protein and a delicate heartiness to the dish, which makes a wonderful entrée that can be served hot or cold.
Makes 4 servings
8 ounces quinoa rotelle pasta (or other rotelle pasta)
1 large bunch asparagus
¼ cup raw cashews
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced, plus additional for garnish
½ cup hemp seeds, plus additional for garnish
Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim the asparagus, discarding the woody ends. Slice the asparagus stems into 1-inch pieces.
In a blender, combine the cashews, Dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon juice, along with ¼ cup water and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Blend into a cream.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotelle for a few minutes until it’s near tender but still chewy, then add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes longer until pasta is done and asparagus is a vibrant green. Set aside a cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and asparagus, and return them to the pot. Add the blended cream, lemon zest, capers, chives, and hemp seeds, and season with black pepper. Toss well to distribute, adding a little of the reserved cooking water if needed, and adjust seasoning if desired. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with additional chives, hemp seeds, and edible flowers. May be served hot or chilled.
