Mariel here. We haven’t forgotten about Feast…just reveling in a little pre-Memorial Day mania, complete with, packing, moving, a full-scale kitchen renovation and a late-stage pregnancy. Feeling a little uninspired as of late, I turned to this easy-as-one-two-three dish brimming with loads of seasonal green veggies and a no-fuss sauce. Serve this alongside a simple Green Salad with Montrachet Croutons or our delicious Bermuda Onion, Brie & Tomato concoction and everyone will leave the table with a big fat smile on their faces. I’m curious, what meal do you make when you just can’t muster up the gusto to cook?

Spring Pasta with Leeks, Green Peas, Asparagus and Sausage Makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 bunches of leeks – slice the white/light green parts into 1-inch strips – $4.00 1 bunch asparagus (about 25 stalks), cut into 1-inch pieces – $3.89 1/2-lb lean sweet Italian-style turkey or chicken sausage, casing removed – $4.99 1.5 cups frozen peas – $1.59 13 oz package of whole wheat penne, rigatoni or bowties – $1.69 3 TBS olive oil – stock 1/2 TBS butter – stock 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes – stock 1/2 cup white cooking wine – stock 1/2 cup chicken broth – stock 3 TBS of water reserved from boiling the pasta – stock 1/2 cup parmesan (optional) – $4.99 Salt and pepper to taste – stock Grand total assuming “well-stocked” kitchen (with optional parmesan): $21.15 Cost per serving: $3.53 Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 550 degrees. 2. In a large skillet, heat 2 TBS olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks. Saute until tender (don’t burn) for about 7 minutes. Add white wine and increase heat to high and simmer until liquid reduces to a glaze (this happens rather quickly, about 2 minutes). Reduce heat to medium, add broth and bring to a simmer. Set aside. 3. Remove tough ends of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces and toss with olive oil and salt & pepper. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and roast in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes or until the asparagus florets are turning a nice golden brown – keep checking on them though to ensure they don’t burn, every oven is different. Set asparagus aside. 4. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, quickly blanch frozen peas – basically, pop them in for 2 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Bring the same pot of water back to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 3 TBS of pasta water. 5. In another large skillet, brown the sausage (casings removed) over medium-high heat. Break into small crumbles while cooking. Add the red pepper flakes. 6. Combine all ingredients in one large skillet and toss well with the reserved pasta water. Cook over low heat for about a minute then sprinkle with parmesan cheese (if desired) and enjoy!
Woo hoo!!!! As a real live person who ate this internets recipe, I have to say: it was delicious!
Yeah, it’s good, very useful, thanks 🙂
Welcome back=i missed you! YOUR LOYAL FEAST FOLLOWER
Where did we go? Thanks for your note, Mrs. A! Mariel really did a beautiful job with this dish. Hope you and your family try it out. Send my best to everyone and I’ll see you soon. xoxo
Hi Mary Ann and Mariel
This sounds really great! Will try it for my Father’s Day gathering.
Love your recipes and hints.
Thanks for helping this “old lady” come up with new tastes.
Evelyn L
Hi Mrs. L! So nice to hear from you and we’re delighted to know you are enjoying our recipes. Mariel’s really nailing some spectacular combinations and this one looks exceptional. Tell Johnny-boy i hope he has a wonderful Father’s Day and to help you in the kitchen! xoxo
OOOP’S , I SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED = I WAS REFERRING TO THE FEAST “SLACKERDOM” NOT TO THE TWO BEAUTIFUL AUTHORS. I DID MAKE THIS ,DISH FOR MY GRANDSON MICHAEL AND HIS SOCCER TEAM MATES = THEY ENJOYED IT SO MUCH, THEY ATE IT ALL =NOT LEAVING ANY FOR THE REST OF MY CLAN. THANKS FOR THE RECIPE MARIEL !
Great spring dish!
Love this dish!! So refreshing and healthy!!
I can relate – things have been crazy for me as well. I’m so ready for the lazier (hopefully!) days of summer to arrive. This pasta looks so flavorful and perfect for this time of year 🙂