Back when Jay and I got married, we got a recipe book as a gift. Now, back when Jay and I got married, my cooking skills were… well, how to put this?
Nonexistent.
I could make a mean grilled cheese and boxed macaroni and cheese with the best of them. But my skills were fairly limited and the main chef in the house was Jay.
Ten plus years later, I’m the head honcho in the kitchen. This recipe was one of the first ones that I was really able to master and still remains one of our favorites.
Bow Tie Pasta with Asparagus, Sun-dried tomatoes, and Boursin
- 1/3 c pine nuts
- Kosher salt
- 8 oz bow tie pasta (they sell 12 oz packages so I usually leave about 1/4 in the box)
- 14 medium spears of asparagus, cut into 1.5″ pieces
- 1TBSP olive oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 oz (1/3 c) Garlic and Fine Herb Boursin Cheese
- 1/4 c of diced sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh dill (which I skip because I’m not a huge fan of dill)
- 3/4 Tsp lemon pepper
1. Put the pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat. Shake constantly until evenly toasted on all sides, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 3/4c of the cooking water.
3. Set the same saucepan over medium heat and heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the pasta and asparagus to the pan then add the reserved cooking water. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Boursin cheese, dill, and the 3/4tsp of lemon pepper and toss to combine. Stir in the pine nuts. Season with kosher salt and lemon pepper, to taste.
4. Divide the pasta between bowls and serve! Makes 3-4 servings which equals leftovers. Sweet!
From Bride and Groom: First and Forever
Enjoy!