Pasta with Three Peas, Asparagus and Shiitake

If you're starting to feel a little over-indulged on party foods and sweets, here's a wonderful heavy-on-the-veggies dish that you could proudly bring to any holiday party.  

 Pasta with Three Peas, Asparagus and Shiitake

1 bunch asparagus

1 cup snow peas

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

2 cups dried bow tie pasta or any gluten-free pasta*

3 T chopped shallot

3 cups sliced shiitake

2 green onions split lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 T blue cheese (optional)*

4 T roasted pine nuts

1 t dried marjoram or 3 T chopped fresh

3 T butter (organic grass-fed for increased omega-3s)

olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

Bring a small pot of water to boil and blanch all 3 types of peas until just barely tender.

Put cut asparagus spears into roasting pan with olive oil and salt and roast until just barely cooked. Saute sliced shitakes and shallots in 3 T butter. Cook pasta until al dente. Toss all ingredients in bowl, season with generous sea salt, fresh ground pepper and drench in olive oil. Top with blue cheese and pine nuts.

*If you're on an anti-inflammation diet, make sure you use gluten-free pasta and switch the cheese out to any goat or sheep's milk cheese.  A feta would taste good and be easy to grab at your local market. However, if your local farmer's market is still going on and you have access to artisan cheeses, try a great local goat cheese.