Sugar Snap Peas with Bowties and Ricotta

I got to the 68th day of quarantine with eating nothing but food prepared in my own kitchen. When I finally caved and ordered takeout, I was having a bad day and already quite hungry by the time I decided to do it, so picked the first thing that came up on Google for "takeout near me". I ended up with a mediocre pizza and a standard Greek salad showing up on my doorstep. It was anticlimactic.  Since then, I've had several more takeout experiences that were more satisfying, but have refrained from going to a restaurant. Outdoor dining began a few weeks ago, and indoor dining this week. It's exciting to see people sitting at tables being served food, but I'm not feeling quite ready for it yet. I type this while I await some Indian food to be delivered. I just finished reading The Henna Artist and after all the talk about chapati I couldn't wait one more minute before eating some, along with pakora dipped in chutney. 

I miss eating out, especially sitting at a bar, sipping a well-prepared cocktail and sharing plates of food huddling close to a friend and chatting amidst all the sounds of other people doing the same. I admire the resourcefulness of restaurants creating outdoor dining spaces that didn't exist before. I appreciate that neighborhoods are closing streets to car traffic in order to create more space for restaurants to do this. I want to support my favorite hangouts in hopes that they'll end up bouncing back financially. I will, but for the time being I'll continue to mostly cook at home. This time has afforded me an opportunity to rekindle my relationship with cooking, cookbooks and the cooks I like to follow. I've made some dishes I don't think I would have otherwise discovered. I've been inspired when I had no energy whatsoever towards making another plate of food for myself. 

These days my focus is on using as much fresh local produce as possible, while creating as little heat as possible in my kitchen. This summer has started off as a hot one already, and I don't have central air conditioning. I don't own a grill yet, so I'm after dishes that are simple, tasty without much, if any, time on the stove. Once again, Smitten Kitchen to the rescue! I came across this re-posted recipe on Instagram, and tried it right away. My local farm grows its own snap peas. Take the time to read Deb's post attached to this. I love what she has to say about delicious Italian dishes needing minimal ingredients. 

I used the mint as directed, but will try basil next time since I have it growing in my yard. I think having a fresh herb is important to the recipe though, so don't skip it. This comes together so quickly and is very tasty for the amount of effort. It's worth repeating, and experimenting with using alternative green veggies in season.

Edit: I tried the recipe using ziti instead of bowties and basil instead of mint. Both versions work well and are pictured below. 

Sugar snap peas with Bowties and Ricotta

1/2 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/2 lb bowtie pasta

salt 

black pepper or some red chili flakes if you like

olive oil

small handful chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

lemon juice - 1/2 lemon or more to taste

1. Put the pasta water on to boil while you trim and remove the strings from the snap peas. Cut them into 1/2 inch pieces.

2. Put the pasta in the boiling water. When it is about 2 minutes from the cooking time on the package, take out a 1/2 cup of the pasta water and put aside. Add the snap peas.

3. Let the water return to a boil and cook the peas for about a minute. You want them crunchy, not overcooked. 

4. Drain the peas and pasta and put them back into the pot with the heat turned down to medium. Add the pasta water, glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and romano cheese. Stir.

5. Add the ricotta cheese in dollops. Do not stir. Turn this over into a big serving bowl. Stir lightly, leaving some globs of ricotta. 

6. Squeeze lemon around the top. Sprinkle with more romano and the mint. Serve hot.