Whole-Wheat Shells with some yummy and not-so-yummy veggies

Written May 6, 2010

How difficult is it really, to find an Iron Man 2 inspired menu?  VERY difficult.  You’d think it’d be easier to find it, considering it’s debut is this coming weekend!!  I want to make a fantastic meal and share it with some friends using the Iron Man theme but it’s not as easy as I thought it was.  So far, I haven’t been able to find anything.  I suppose I’ll have to make my own.  MigL definitely wants mashed potatoes (he prefers them from the box but I’d rather make them from scratch).  I’m so over the quick mashed potatoes.  I don’t dislike them, but I’d rather make them myself, even if it takes me a little bit longer, because I know what’s really in my mashed potatoes.

Update 5/19:  We decided instead to make English muffin pizzas with cheese, pineapple (our favorite), mushrooms and olives,  (all broiled in the oven for 2 minutes), paired with a mixed greens salad, candied walnuts, raspberry vinaigrette and feta cheese (which I forgot to include until afterward).

Tonight’s dinner was inspired by my e-mail inbox – courtesy of Vegetarian Times.

Whole-Wheat Shells with Asparagus, Peas, Feta and Mint

Ingredients

12 oz. whole-wheat pasta shells

1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen baby peas

2 Tbs. garlic oil, such as Garlic Gold

3 green onions, thinly sliced (1/3 cup)

1 cup sliced fresh basil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)

Directions

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus, and cook 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus with slotted spoon; transfer to serving bowl.

2. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 5 minutes. Add peas, return water to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Drain pasta and peas, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and return pasta and peas to pot. Stir in reserved cooking water, asparagus, garlic oil, green onions, basil, mint, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; transfer back to serving bowl; and sprinkle with feta cheese, if using.

Cook’s notes

I didn’t have any pasta shells, so I used Fusili pasta instead…I think it still turned out really well.  The definite kicker in this recipe is the lemon zest – A MUST HAVE & USE!  I also didn’t have any mint, thus defying the mint portion of this recipe.

p.s.  I really dislike peas, so if I can’t taste them, the merrier.  However, I’ve been using them to get more veggies in and bring a smile to MigL’s face, because let’s face it, he adores them.  Perhaps I’m exaggerating a tad.

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