Homemade Spring Fettuccine with Pancetta, Peas & Asparagus

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Spring is finally here in full bloom, and I’m so excited to cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients! One of my favorite pasta dishes to make for spring is this tasty and fresh  Homemade Spring Fettuccine with Pancetta, Peas & Asparagus. 

PrepFreshIngredients

It features homemade fresh spinach and egg fettuccine made with flour, eggs and olive oil, topped with crispy pancetta, fresh scallions, garlic, baby green peas and asparagus in a tasty parmesan cream sauce.

FoodProcessor

You simply make the dough in your KitchenAid 14-cup food processor,

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knead it and cut it into a few pieces,

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then use the KitchenAid pasta attachment to roll it out the pasta sheets

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and cut into lovely fresh fettuccine

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served with a gorgeous Parmesan cream sauce with fresh veggies all tossed around with the pasta and cheese right in the pan.

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It’s so delicious and easy to make and tastes like Spring in a bowl!

Homemade Spring Fettuccine with Pancetta, Peas & Asparagus

Yield: Serves 6 to 8.

This Spring-forward recipe features homemade fresh spinach and egg fettuccine made with flour, eggs and olive oil, topped with crispy pancetta, fresh scallions, garlic, baby green peas and asparagus in a tasty parmesan cream sauce. It's light, easy to make and totally delicious!

Ingredients

  • Basic Egg Pasta Dough:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • Generous pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil, optional
  • Spinach Pasta Dough:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
  • Generous pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil, optional
  • Pancetta, Peas and Asparagus Parmesan Cream Sauce:
  • Sea Salt for pasta water
  • 4 ounces Pancetta (Italian-style bacon), cubed
  • 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced length-wise
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup shelled fresh peas, blanched or frozen baby peas, defrosted
  • 6-8 stalks fresh asparagus, trimmed and halved
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock, low sodium
  • ½ cup heavy cream or half and half
  • ½ pound fresh egg fettuccine pasta
  • ½ pound fresh spinach fettuccine pasta
  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
  • Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Basic Egg Pasta Dough:Place the eggs in KitchenAid 14-cup food processor and pulse to beat. Add 1 cup of the flour, salt and olive oil and process on speed 2, adding more flour until a ball forms on the blade. If you add too much flour, the dough will break into pellets. If this happens, turn the mixture on to a pastry board and gather it into a ball, adding a touch of water, if necessary. If the dough becomes too soft, knead it on the board, adding more flour. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes then cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes until ready to roll and cut with the pasta attachment.
  2. Divide dough into 3 or 4 pieces and process with the KitchenAid pasta roller until pasta sheets are flattened to desired thickness, starting with setting 1, processing several times up to setting 3 or 4. Next, feed the dough sheets through the KitchenAid fettuccine pasta cutter and toss fresh pasta with flour or cornmeal to dry, covered with plastic wrap until ready to cook.
  3. Once ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the fresh pasta for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta floats to the top. Drain and toss with a small amount of olive oil to avoid pasta from sticking together, while preparing Pancetta, Peas and Asparagus Parmesan Cream Sauce (recipe follows).
  4. Makes about ½ pound. You can also double the recipe for a full pound and freeze a portion of it to use later.
  5. Spinach Pasta Dough:
  6. Place the eggs in your KitchenAid 14-cup food processor and pulse to beat. Add 1 cup of the flour, spinach, salt and olive oil and process on speed 2, adding more flour until a ball forms on the blade. If you add too much flour, the dough will break into pellets. If this happens, turn the mixture on to a pastry board and gather it into a ball, adding a touch of water, if necessary. If the dough becomes too soft, knead it on the board, adding more flour. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes then cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes until ready to roll and cut with the pasta attachment.
  7. Divide dough into 3 or 4 pieces and process with the KitchenAid pasta roller until pasta sheets are flattened to desired thickness, starting with setting 1, processing several times up to setting 3 or 4. Next, feed the dough sheets through the KitchenAid fettuccine pasta cutter and toss fresh pasta with flour or cornmeal to dry, covered with plastic wrap until ready to cook.
  8. Once ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the fresh pasta for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta floats to the top. Drain and toss with a small amount of olive oil to avoid pasta from sticking together, while preparing Pancetta, Peas and Asparagus Parmesan Cream Sauce (recipe follows).
  9. Makes about ½ pound. You can also double the recipe for a full pound and freeze a portion of it to use later.
  10. Pancetta, Peas and Asparagus Parmesan Cream Sauce:
  11. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the fresh egg pasta for about 2 to 3 minutes and drain. Cook the fresh spinach pasta for about 2 to 3 minutes and drain. Toss lightly with olive oil and set aside while making sauce.
  12. Prep the fresh ingredients (trim and slice scallions length-wise into thin strips, mince garlic, measure out peas, trim and halve fresh asparagus, chop parsley) with your KitchenAid paring knife and Chef’s knife and place on your KitchenAid Bamboo Cutting Board.
  13. Measure out the other ingredients (chicken stock, cream, and grated Parmesan cheese) in small bowls and set aside.
  14. Heat your KitchenAid Copper Core large skillet over medium-high heat, cook pancetta for a few minutes until crispy and browned, drain and set aside.
  15. Drain the fat from the skillet and add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook until wilted about 2 minutes. Scatter in the peas and asparagus and cook until just tender, about 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  16. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the sauce to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
  17. Add the heavy cream or half and half, and continue to simmer until liquid thickens a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  18. Stir the cooked pasta with a little olive oil, and add it directly to the sauce in the large skillet, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce.
  19. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced to make a creamy sauce. Remove from the heat and toss in the grated Parmesan cheese, and garnish with fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper, serving immediately in warm bowls.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2016/04/homemade-spring-fettuccine-pancetta-peas-asparagus/

Veggie, Bacon & Cheese Tarts in a Toasted Quinoa Crust

Veggie, Bacon & Cheese Quinoa Tarts

I love making savory tarts and pies, but unfortunately I don’t love the carbs and calories that come along with them. It’s also Summertime, and I’m trying to cook and eat lighter than usual…and the Fall season will come soon enough with all that yummy comfort food!

Quinoa Tart 1

I’ve been experimenting lately with alternatives to pasta and dough – things like zucchini, cauliflower, almond flour, and quinoa. Not only are they lighter, but also , gluten-free and less carbs than traditional flours and equally as satisfying and tasty!

Veggie, Bacon & Cheese Quinoa Tarts

I found a recipe on Cooking Light for a savory Fall tart made in a toasted quinoa crust and decided to experiment a little with the crust, fillings and flavors. MISSION ON.

Toasted Quinoa

I love the flavor of the nutty toasted quinoa, which is done in the oven and gives a nice depth of flavor and crunch to the tart crust.

Toasted Quinoa Tart Shells

I mixed in some Bob’s Red Mill almond flour, corn starch, Parmesan cheese and an egg for binding the quinoa, then added a little garlic salt and olive oil to bring it all together for the crust. Then I pressed the quinoa mixture into four small tart pans and baked for about 10 minutes before filling them and baking again.

Mascarpone & Cheddar

While the tart crusts were baking, I made a savory filling with mascarpone and cheddar cheese and spooned in this delightful cheesy goodness on to the par-baked crusts.

Crispy Cooked Bacon

I also cooked up some crispy gorgeous bacon in the oven while the tarts were baking..(for about 20 minutes or so)..

Top with Crispy Bacon

then chopped it to pieces and layered it on top of the cheeses. HELLO PRETTIES. Come to me.

Blanched Cauliflower and Peas

Next I started filling the tarts with my blanched cauliflower and baby peas,

Veggie Tart fillings

more Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil,

Ready to bake the tarts again

popped them back in the oven..

Tarts Cooling

and baked these cuties for another 5-10 minutes and let them cool on a wire rack for a few…

Tarts cooling

the anticipation of these delicious things in my mouth is MOUNTING.

Cooked Quinoa Tarts

Once the tarts were cooled a bit, I garnished them with some fresh chopped basil, chives and freshly cracked black pepper and a few red pepper flakes. Mini Green Goddesses!

Veggie, Bacon & Cheese Quinoa Tarts

And Oh Holy Delicious.

Veggie Bacon & Cheese Tarts in a Toasted Quinoa Crust

This is a great base recipe for any savory tart really – feel free to substitute different fillings for the tarts depending on the season..butternut squash and spinach in the Fallcorn, tomatoes and zucchini in the Summer… roasted carrotspotatoes and Gruyere in the Winter..asparagus and leeks in the Spring…oh, the ideas are endless!

Veggie Bacon & Cheese Tarts in a Toasted Quinoa Crust

Veggie, Bacon & Cheese Tarts in a Toasted Quinoa Crust

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes four 4 5/7-inch tarts

Serving Size: 1 tart

This is a gluten-free tart recipe made with a toasted quinoa crust, filled with a savory filling of mascarpone and cheddar cheese, bacon, cauliflower, peas topped with Parmesan, and fresh basil and chives.

Ingredients

  • Toasted Quinoa Tart Crust:
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup almond meal flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • Cooking spray
  • Tart Filling:
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup baby green peas, frozen
  • 4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Jack, or Gouda)
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced chives, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the Toasted Quinoa Tart Crusts:
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Place quinoa on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden brown; cool.
  4. Place half of quinoa in a food processor; pulse 30 seconds.
  5. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining toasted quinoa, almond meal, cornstarch, and salt to bowl; stir to combine.
  6. Add oil and egg; stir until mixture is crumbly but holds together when pressed.
  7. Press into bottom and up sides of four 4 5/7-inch removable-bottom fluted tart pans coated with cooking spray.
  8. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden, but not completely cooked (you will put them back in the oven later after you fill them with the veggies, bacon and cheese.)
  9. Prep the Tart fillings:
  10. While the tart crusts are baking, chop the cauliflower into small florets and measure out the baby peas.
  11. Blanch the veggies in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, then drain and rinse them in very cold water or shock them in an ice bath, set aside.
  12. Cook the bacon and drain, chop into small chunks, set aside.
  13. Measure out the mascarpone, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, and chop basil and chives, set aside.
  14. Fill the Tart Crusts:
  15. Spread the mascarpone cheese evenly in bottom of each tart crust.
  16. Top each tart with shredded cheese, then crumbled bacon.
  17. Arrange cauliflower and peas evenly over cheese and bacon mixture on the tarts and drizzle with some olive oil, Parmesan cheese and black pepper.
  18. Bake tarts for another 5-7 minutes in the oven.
  19. Remove tarts from the pans; cool completely on a wire rack.
  20. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and chives, serve warm.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, Nov 2014.

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https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2015/07/veggie-bacon-cheese-tarts-in-a-toasted-quinoa-crust/

Other Tart Recipes you might enjoy:

Savory Harvest Fall Tart

Quinoa Tart with Zucchini & Sundried Tomato Dressing

Gluten-Free Tomato Tart

Gluten-Free Spinach and Onion Tart