15-MINUTE LEMON RICOTTA VEGGIE PASTA

Serves 4, 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (organic, good quality)

• 1/2 cup pine nuts

• 1/2 cup pasta water

• Zest of 1 lemon (add more to taste)

• Salt & pepper to taste (add extra freshly cracked black pepper for kapha)

Veggie pasta (these are Spring veggies - use the veggies in the season you are in, if it is not currently spring)

• 15oz brown rice pasta

• 1 tbsp ghee

• 2 tsp fennel seeds

• 1/2 cup leeks, chopped

• 1/2 cup celery, chopped

• 1 cup asparagus, chopped

• 1 cup kale, chopped, stems removed

• 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (to taste)

• Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Small step but makes a difference: strain any extra liquid out of the ricotta by straining it through a fine mesh strainer. Add it to a blender with the other sauce ingredients. Set aside until ready to blend.

2. Start by cooking the noodles according to package directions (since you have to use some of the reserved pasta water for the sauce).

3. While that is heating/ cooking, chop the veggies.

4. Then, heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and heat until aromatic (about 1-2 minutes).

5. Add the celery and leeks, and heat until soft/ translucent (2-3 minutes).

6. Add the rest of the chopped veggies and salt & pepper (except the basil). Stir, then cover, and allow to cook until veggies are soft (about 5 minutes), adding a splash of water in the pan if needed to prevent burning. Add fresh chopped basil once done cooking.

7. Once pasta is done, add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to a blender with the other sauce ingredients. Strain the rest of the noodles, blend the sauce ingredients, then add your sauce to the cooked pasta.

8. Serve topped with sautéed veggies and extra cracked black pepper (helps to digest the dairy and good for kaphas).

#kidfriendly #summer #spring #vata #pitta #italian

Notes

• Kapha pasta bowls like this will have more veggies than pasta - if kapha, feel free to double the amount of veggies and fill your plate with a small serving of pasta and big serving veggies - also go extra on the black pepper, basil, and maybe even add some red pepper flakes.

• This meal features best of both all worlds - light fresh alkaline spring veggies with a creamy pasta sauce that gives stamina, energy, strength, vigor without being too heavy. Thus, all doshas get some rejuvenation.

• Why ricotta? Ricotta is one of the lighter, more digestible cheeses that you can consume. It is typically a fresh cheese and goes bad pretty quickly after you open it (especially if you get good quality). Soft cheeses like this are going to be easier to digest than hard cheeses ;).

• Why pine nuts? They are also a lighter more sattvic nut. They are heating (can aggravate pitta in excess), but not as heating as other nuts. They give stamina and boost energy. Great for balancing the mood and satisfying the stomach.