Josh and I have fallen into a very gluttonous, strenuous, and exhausting Sunday night routine. It goes something like this: Dinner. Game of Thrones. Ice cream (two types). Mad Men. Quick shower. Girls.
Sometimes we end up staying up later than we did on Friday or Saturday night, which is a little sad, but also a little bit awesome.
I’m a couch potato through and through. My parents were very strict about TV growing up, permitting no more than 1 hour of viewing time during the week. I imagine this was supposed to make me a better student. But the unanticipated result was that on weekends I turned into an insatiable addict. (It also lead to some very mischievous baby sitter manipulation during the week. At least, the nights that 90210 was on.)
Come Saturday morning, I would sit in front of the TV in a glazed over cartoon-induced hypnosis for the whole day. And then on Sunday, I’d do it again. It’s amazing that I didn’t end up writing my extra-curricular college common app essay on the responsibilities ranch hands faced on Hey Dude.
Once I was in college, I learned moderation. My roommate, Lydia, and I had a TV in our room Sophomore year, and we managed to avoid buying a cable cord until one month before school ended. Clearly, this shows that I had kicked my addiction, but also not managed to become any less lazy.
Now that all of my favorite TV shows are on Sunday night, I’ve fallen back into a routine that reminds me a lot of my youth. It feels indulgent. It feels wrong. And it also feels kind of amazing, mostly because I get to eat my TV dinner with Josh (and then fall into a haze and drool on him). Our meal and TV marathon is something I look forward to each week. And when it’s approaching midnight, and we’re still not halfway through our third show, it feels like we’re milking Sunday for all it’s worth.
This springtime pasta was eaten a few Sundays ago, and might have been Josh’s favorite thing I’ve made in a while. Perhaps it was because I finally converted to quinoa pasta, and it’s just so so so much better than the brown rice Tinkyada. The heavy cream might have helped too. But it’s probably also because a big bowl of this rich, veg-filled pasta is the perfect TV dinner, making your mind ripe for a food coma, and your body calm enough to sit still for 3+ hours on the couch.
Eat up!
Xo
Phoebe
Linguine with Asparagus, Peas, and Arugula
Ingredients
- ½ pound linguine or other long pasta shape
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into ½ in pieces
- Sea salt
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup peas fresh or frozen
- 2 handfuls of baby arugula about 1-2 ounces
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain, reserving ¼ cup of cooking water.
- Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Cook the garlic until beginning to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallot and the asparagus and lower the heat to medium. Saute the asparagus until it turns a vibrant green and is slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes.
- Add the cream, lemon juice, and zest. Gently simmer until partially reduced, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the peas, stirring to coat.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, along with the arugula, and gently toss until everything is combined and the arugula is wilted. Serve immediately.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!
Yum! The perfect Sunday meal — I’m going to try it this weekend! Could you substitute soemthing for the heavy cream (my tummy isn’t a big fan) or would that make it way less delicious?
Totally! You can do regular milk, although the sauce won’t be as thick and luscious. I also was considering using a tablespoon or two of creme fraiche instead and thinning it with a little stock or water. This might not help your tummy though 🙂 Let me know how it turns out! xo
Sometimes we eat tv dinners while watching CSI Miami – such a guilty pleasure. I told a friend once and her response: ‘you probably shouldnt tell people that. It’s embarrassing.’ not sure which is more embarrassing? Tv selection or that we eat with plates on our laps. Who cares?! It’s fun! And love the Hey Dude reference – oh, how I wanted to be Melanie!
hahah – LOVE IT. This is a safe space, Adelaide. If there are any other guilty pleasures you’d like to reveal, go for it. I used to live for the Hey Dude / Solute Your Shorts marathons. Miss those gems. xo
That is my Sunday TV marathon exactly! Although this weekend is truly challenging because the Survivor finale is 3 hours. We’ll have to record HBO and AMC and then watch the third show live on the other TV. I relate this without embarrassment. And the recipe looks so fab I’m eating it in my mind.
Oy! That’s nuts. Who do you think is going to win? Should I watch??
yum! what a great way to plow through the greens in the fridge before heading out of town on a summer weekend…love it!
totally! wilting veg be damned!
This looks delicious!! Can’t wait to try it
Thanks Loretta! Drop me a line if you make it and let me know how you like it! xo
Skilled chef here… Tried this recipe and had to throw it out. I thought it would be ok to follow the advice posted and use milk instead of heavy cream….well the milk curdled…. This recipe ruined my night- don’t use milk! Go with your gut!
Hi Hank,
Really sorry to hear this. I clearly never made the recipe this way, so as always, it’s always best to go with the directions that I’ve tried and tested properly. That said, it does make sense given the lemon, that the milk curdled. I clearly wasn’t thinking through the whole recipe when I responded to the question in the comments – just the idea of sub-ing milk for cream in a basic pasta recipe. Apologies again for your experience. Hope you won’t hold it against me forever!
Best, Phoebe
This looks like a perfect side for our spiral sliced ham leftovers! When I’m in the mood for a Alfredo style sauce but don’t want to make a store run, I will cheat by reducing a little white wine and whisking in cream cheese. It holds nicely enough, and satisfies the “creamy pasta cravings”!
hooray!! this is an oldie but a goodie!
I’m a bit of a lurker here on your fabulous blog 🙂
Thanks for sharing this incredible recipe o foodily
I’m glad i could edit my post to give you some well deserved credit
http://thecopycatchef.com/2012/11/12/linguine-pasta-w-asparagus-peas-rocket-in-a-creamy-lemon-sauce/
Next on the list … eggnog!
TCCC xo