Springtime Pasta

When the sun starts to shine and the birds are singing my cravings change from heavy comfort foods to lighter fare.  (Don't misunderstand though... I can always eat macaroni & cheese)  Today I received an email with recipe ideas from Martha Stewart and as soon as I saw the below recipe I knew what we were having for dinner.  This pasta is a fairly simple dish to make, under 30 minutes total.  Only one pot is required and all the ingredients are cooked with the pasta.

I served with a loaf of French bread and a salad of greens.

Pasta with Shrimp, Feta and Spring Veggies
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 oz penne rigate  (I used Campanelle pasta)
1 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
8 oz snow peas, trimmed and halved on the diagonal
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. crumbled feta (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 5 minutes less than al dente. Add asparagus; cook 3 minutes. Add shrimp and snow peas; cook 2 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta mixture, and return to pot.

To pasta mixture, add oil, lemon juice, garlic, and reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Gently mix in feta and mint; adjust to desired consistency with some pasta water as needed. Serve immediately.