Day 1 of our family’s vegetarian adventure.

I wasn’t actually ready to start planning vegetarian meals yet. I was giving myself a week to adjust to the idea before I dive in with menu planning and grocery shopping with vegetarianism in mind.

But then I saw this recipe for Pappardelle with Spring Veggies on our SheKnows site, and I thought hmmm. I don’t have all of those ingredients, but I can easily modify it for what I DO have. So I went at it. I prepared the veggies, sautéed the nuts and cooked the pasta. I didn’t have an fresh Parmesan on hand, but I did have a delicious sheep cheese a visiting friend brought over one day. It’s similar in texture to fresh Parmesan, and it has a fresh, nutty flavor. It seemed like it would blend beautifully with this this dish (and it did!). While the pasta was cooking, I grated some of this cheese.

The house smelled wonderful - is there any better smell than onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil? Any meal with that as the base is usually a sure-fire hit with me.

I called my family to the kitchen and started dishing up.

“What’s for dinner?” “Oh, this is something new.” “Smells good, mom!”

My husband, Scott, says, “I don’t know how well I can do this vegetarian thing when I’m looking at this meal and thinking it looks like a great side dish for a… STEAK!” Heh, we had a good laugh about that one. We do love our steak.

I am pleased to report: Everyone loved the meal, including my picky 11 year old! I would absolutely make this again - it is even likely to go into regular rotation. It’s an easy dish, perfect as a last minute meal decision, especially since I’m likely to have the ingredients on hand (and when I don’t, the recipe lends itself to variation). Scott ended up feeling that this meal was very satisfying and surprisingly filling. The flavors and textures were perfect.

Here’s my version of the recipe:

Whole Wheat Penne with Spring Vegetables

This served 2 adults, 3 kids - and I had two days of generously portioned leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

1 package whole wheat penne pasta
1 lb. green asparagus
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Remove the tough ends of asparagus and blanch for 5 minutes in water until just tender. Blanch peas separately until heated through.
2. In a heavy saucepan, gently sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until they begin to turn gold. Add peas and asparagus and cook for a few minutes.
3. Cook the penne in boiling water according to package instructions, drain and pour into serving dish. Add veggie and oil mixture to serving dish. Add almonds and parmesan and season to taste. Serve immediately.

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