Cool and Light Pasta and Herbs

Mixing herbs like mint and basil with asparagus and peas creates a tasty summer dish. This is one of my favorite things to eat on a hot summer day! Goes great with grilled salmon and a glass of crisp Riesling! Chop herbs in a food processor to speed up your preparation time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fettuccine pasta
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 0.5 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (4 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with herbs
• 3 scallions (green onions), chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.75 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 0.75 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Steps

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the fettuccine, bring back to a boil, and cook pasta over medium heat until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
2. While fettuccini is boiling, place asparagus and peas into a steamer insert and place insert over the pot of fettuccine. Steam vegetables until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove steamer insert and drain fettuccine.
3. Combine fettuccine, asparagus, peas, basil, mint, parsley, feta cheese, scallions, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.