Spring Pasta…A Vegetarian Delight!

Spring is in the air and it’s time to break away from root vegetables in my kitchen. My local farmers market opens at the end of the month and I can barely wait to add a variety of locally grown veggies back into my cooking routine!

I’ve been reading about farmers markets across the country, patiently waiting my turn since Massachusetts’ growing season is so far behind everyone else. The anticipation has inspired me to make a vegetarian recipe that screams spring because it incorporates one of the first vegetables to break ground here; fiddleheads! Fiddleheads are the young coiled fronds of an ostrich fern, and taste kind of similar to asparagus in my opinion.

Spring Pasta with Smart Bacon

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pkg rotini pasta, cooked
• 6 slices Smart Bacon, diced
• 1.5 lbs fiddleheads, well rinsed
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 2 cups morel mushrooms, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup vegan parmesan (optional)

Directions:

Prepare clean fiddleheads by boiling for 10 minutes in a medium pot. Once tender, drain and set aside. In large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add spring onions and stir every minute or so. After 3 minutes, add mushrooms, fiddleheads, Smart Bacon and garlic. After five minutes, add remaining olive oil and salt. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately

I wish fiddleheads were around for longer, but then again I guess what makes them so special is that you can only find them at a certain time of the year.

What is the first spring vegetable where you live? Do you get inspired in the kitchen when different vegetables come into season?

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian