campanelle with asparagus, feta, and mint

wow, long time no post. which is weird, because i've had lots of foodie things going on lately. i have several recipes lined up for you...and i'll post them all over the next week or so, so just hang tight.

the recipe for today is a seasonal treat. 100% vegetarian (but not vegan, sorry margaux) but very filling and delicious as a main course. it's a simple dish, and took only about 15 minutes to prepare...wow, the news just keeps getting better and better!

give it a go, even my carnivorous husband thought it was a showstopper!

ingredients:
1 pound campanelle pasta (or penne or rotini)
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut into 2" lengths
1/2 a block of feta (or 4 oz.) crumbled or cubed
1 package of pine nuts (or 4 oz.)
about 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
2 cloves of garlic confit (or roasted garlic)
2 tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add pasta. cook pasta for 6 minutes, and then add the asparagus to the water and cook both for an additional 4 minutes. drain and add to the bowl with the ingredients below.

while the pasta and asparagus are cooking...

toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over high heat. be sure to flip these around (use a spoon if you aren't comfortable with your pan flipping technique) so that they don't burn. once they are a nice golden brown and smell all deliciously nutty they are perfect, remove from the heat and add to a large bowl. chop the mint and place it in the bowl with the pine nuts. crumble the feta and add this to the bowl as well. mash the garlic confit (or roasted garlic) in the olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste and then pour this into the bowl as well. when the pasta and asparagus are done, add them to the bowl and toss to combine. serve warm and enjoy!

notes:
this is a really nutritious dish, and it's really tasty too. i served mine alongside some large scallops that i brushed with a combination of cayenne pepper, honey, and butter and then seared over a very high heat. the mint and cool feta were a perfect compliment...but like i said, it would be great on its own (which is how i intend to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!)