Spring fling

March in D.C. is super fun. No wait, that's a total lie.

That whole "in like a lion/out like a lamb" thing would be a nice change from the constant roaring winds of January and the dry February cold, but instead the sky is overcast and dull, regardless of temperature- no more snowboarding, but it's too cold for shorts. It could be 60F and still looks so unpleasant outside you hardly register the temperature change. Marvy.

That said, March means that spring is somewhere around the corner and that it's time for fresh veggies and lighter sauces.

Well, lighter colored at least.

My landlady left me a copy of the April issue of Bon Appetit with a note "I thought you'd get more use out of this than me". Wee-HAH! I flipped it open and found a lovely recipe for spring, which just happened to be the perfect thing in which to use the two small zucchini I bought last week.

And then I mangled the hell out of it by buying completely the wrong pasta (the original calls for tagliatelle) and veggies (the recipe called for tiny greenbeans, I looked for baby peas, and picked up the package of mixed veggies someone had put back in the wrong place) to go with it. But it was delicious anyway.

Fettuccine with Spring Veggies in a Lemon Parmesan Sauce

1/2 lb of fettuccini uncooked
Splash of olive oil
1 med. white onion halved and sliced thinly
2 baby zucchini sliced thinly on the diagonal
8 oz. mixed vegetables*
2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
1 cup grated parmesan, with more for passing
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. lemon juice

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and save 2 cups of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until zucchini is almost tender (about 10 minutes). Add veggies and lemon peel and toss for about a minute.
3. Add vegetables to pasta in pot. Add parmesan, cream, lemon juice (first, pick out seeds), and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid.
4. Turn up heat under pot to medium-high and toss until pasta is heated through and coated with sauce. (If you like your pasta saucier, add more of the reserved liquid by 1/4 cupfuls). Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Top with extra cheese.

Delicious with iced sweet tea, Italian lemon soda, or a glass of Chardonnay (unless you gave up alcohol for Lent, you idiot you).

*The recipe calls for frozen tiny green beans thawed, but I'd try frozen baby peas too.