Garlic Scape Pesto and Sausage Pasta

A simple weeknight pasta with just a few ingredients and lots of flavor. If you’ve got garlic scape pesto on hand, this comes together in no time. The recipe for the garlic scape pesto can be found here.

Ingredients

• Spaghettini (enough for one)

• 1 Italian sausage (any kind you like, I like something garlic forward or neutral)

• A couple spoonfuls of garlic scape pesto

• 1 tbsp butter

• Salted pasta water (3–4 tbsp)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions.

2. While it’s cooking, remove the sausage from its casing and brown it in a pan over medium-high heat.

3. Once browned, turn the heat down to low. Add a couple spoonfuls of garlic scape pesto and a few tablespoons of pasta water to loosen it up. Let it simmer for a minute or two.

4. Stir in a tablespoon of butter until glossy.

5. Add your drained pasta to the pan and toss it all together. Taste for seasoning, and serve right away.

Asparagus Orzo

Ingredients

• 400g orzo

• 1 bunch green asparagus (approx 250 g or 1/2 lbs)

• zest of 1/2 lemon

• 1 shallot

• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

• olive oil (for frying)

• 600–800 ml chicken broth

• salt (to taste)

• black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Cook the orzo 1/2 the cooking time of what’s stated on the package.

2. Trim and peel the asparagus if needed, then cut it into smaller pieces (1/2 inch-ish).

3. Grate the lemon zest into a bowl.

4. Finely chop the shallot. Grate the Parmesan cheese.

5. Use a large saucepan for cooking. Sauté the onion and asparagus in olive oil without browning for a couple of minutes. Add the half-cooked orzo and stir.

6. Pour in the broth, starting with the smaller amount. Let simmer gently for 3–5 minutes. Add more broth if it feels too thick.

7. Add the Parmesan, grated lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.

8. For serving: Serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan on top.