Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking
Like most bloggers and blog-readers, I really love Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks. But what I love even more (hard to imagine, right?) is her new cookbook Super Natural Cooking. Much like her lovely blog, her cookbook has a gorgeous, fall-into-me aesthetic with ripe, luscious photographs. It is also a wonderful resource for helpful and inspiring information about whole grains and exotic flours, and Heidi sources each and every tough-to-find ingredient so that you can get your hands on everything even if your local Winn-Dixie is no help at all. I especially like that Heidi cooks with clarified butter, which reminds me of this lady I really adore named Julia. Heidi's approach is unintimidating and simple, her tone warm and knowledgeable. But what I love most are her creative twists on familiar ingredients, like this heart-stoppingly delicious Spring Asparagus Puree tossed with fresh spinach and egg fettucine. It's the kind of recipe that makes you fall a little more in love with life. And on a bad day, or really, even a good one, who couldn't use that?
Straw and Hay Fettucine Tangle with Spring Asparagus Puree
Spring Asparagus Puree
1 bunch of asparagus spears, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
4 oz. dried spinach fettuccine, or 6 oz. fresh
4 oz. dried egg fettuccine, or 6 oz. fresh
Bring two pots of water to a rolling boil, one large and one medium. You'll use the large one to cook the pasta and the medium one to blanch the asparagus.
To make the asparagus puree, salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pot. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add the spinach, garlic, the 1 cup Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts. Puree and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup olive oil until a paste forms. It should be the loose consistency of a pesto; if too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice and salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Salt the pasta water well and cook the pasta until just tender; you'll need less time for fresh pasta, more for dried. Drain and toss immediately with 1 cup of the asparagus puree, stirring in more afterward depending on how heavily coated you like your pasta. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, a dusting of Parmesan, and a quick drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Serves 4 to 6
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Photography by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.
Spring Asparagus Puree
1 bunch of asparagus spears, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
4 oz. dried spinach fettuccine, or 6 oz. fresh
4 oz. dried egg fettuccine, or 6 oz. fresh
Bring two pots of water to a rolling boil, one large and one medium. You'll use the large one to cook the pasta and the medium one to blanch the asparagus.
To make the asparagus puree, salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pot. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add the spinach, garlic, the 1 cup Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts. Puree and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup olive oil until a paste forms. It should be the loose consistency of a pesto; if too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice and salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Salt the pasta water well and cook the pasta until just tender; you'll need less time for fresh pasta, more for dried. Drain and toss immediately with 1 cup of the asparagus puree, stirring in more afterward depending on how heavily coated you like your pasta. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, a dusting of Parmesan, and a quick drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Serves 4 to 6
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Photography by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.