Summer Italian

Welcome to my Summer Italian

I created this fun Italian dinner based on the Palms in my backyard.

I also knew that I wanted to showcase this fun and delicious dinner on my Palm Leaf Platter.

It just looked so Summer to me that I knew it had to have it’s own page in our website.

I’m sure I’ll be adding more content to this page as time goes by.

Until then, enjoy your own Summer Italian,

Julie

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My Lemony Cheesy Asparagus Pasta

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Beautiful Purple and Green Asparagus

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Just Add Some Great BREAD, and Your Dinner is Complete

I am someone who loves to eat Pasta in Bowls more so that Plates.

I think I like to eat that way because all of your dinner is nestled nicely close together and not spread out on a plate.

Sometimes I even use Chopsticks to eat my Italian foods. Why not?

Add a Blob of Pesto, and some of your Asparagus, along with some Cheese,

and then you have something very special.

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Gathering Herbs in my Palm Leaf…

…from our Backyard

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Sparky and Spooky

Funny How Their Beds Match Them 🙂

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Recipes Start Here

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My Lemony Cheesy Asparagus Pasta

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Ingredients:

Asparagus, Purple and Green

Lemons

Lime Pepper

Olive Oil

Parmesan Cheese

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Any Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you choose will be fine.

I specifically chose this one that Gordon had brought back from The Middle East

I washed my Asparagus Spears and chopped off a few inches from the bottom of each one.

Always remove those woody ends.

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Parmesan Cheese, to be Grated

Before I Grate it I do Snack on it 🙂

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Roasting The Asparagus

(Turn Your Oven to 400F)

You will need a few Baking Sheet Pans for this. We will be roasting our Asparagus in the oven.

Spread out your Asparagus onto the Sheet Pans. Slice a few Lemons into Wedges and dot around the Asparagus.

Olive Oil, Lime Pepper, and Lemon Powder

(My Lemon Powder isn’t pictured in the photo above, but it is pictured in the grouping above this photo.)

I found the Lemon Powder at the Asian Supermarket. Probably not something you will be able to find at your local grocery stores. Try looking online. Or, you can omit it completely.

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You Want To Coat Your Asparagus With the Olive Oil, and Sprinkle on Some of the Lemon Powder and Lime Pepper.

Use Your Hands And Toss in Order to Coat the Asparagus.

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Grating My Parmesan Cheese All Over My Asparagus…

Place Into The Oven for About 15 Minutes

(Each oven warries in temp and time, so always be sure to monitor.)

After About 10-15 Minutes I did Remove From the Oven and Flipped the Asparagus Over..

I Then Placed Them Back into the Oven for about 5-10 Minutes until Al Dente (just like Pasta)

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Allow To Cool, and Then Plate With the Lemon Wedges Interspersed

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Making The Lemony Cheesy Pasta

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Pasta

Lemon and Herb Ricotta Pasta Sauce, 25 oz. Jar

Olive Oil

Jar of Asparagus and Italian Cheese Pesto

Grated Parmesan

Parmesan Ready to be Grated

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3 Medium Sized Pots…

In This Pot I Am Warming The Lemon and Herb Ricotta Pasta Sauce

In This Pot I Am Warming The Asparagus and Italian Cheese Pesto

And In This Pot I Am Boiling Water For My Spaghetti Pasta

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Simmering, and Boiling

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When the Spaghetti Pasts is Al Dente, Drain into a Colander, and then Decant into a Medium Sized Serving Bowl.

Pour the Lemon and Herb Ricotta Pasta Sauce over top,

Mix Together.

Grate As Much Parmesan Cheese As You Like Over The Pasta Mixture

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Time To Plate

I have this lovely platter shaped like a Palm Leaf so I placed the Pasta all over the Platter, then used some of the Asparagus to line the ‘veins’ of the Palm Leaf Platter. I then spooned some of the Asparagus Pesto down the middle of the Palm, and some Parsley dotted around the bottom.