Creamy Spring Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms, Asparagus and Mint
This creamy spring pasta with oyster mushrooms, asparagus and mint was inspired by a trip to the farmers market.
After taking an unintentional extended break from the farmer's market, I finally made it back last weekend with a girls trip to Soda City with my friend Katrina and my Bernese mountain dog, Savannah. It felt so good to be back! When we moved to Columbia five years ago, I was none too thrilled with it. When we discovered Soda City, our local farmers market, and saw all the passion behind the local food movement, it got me really excited about what this town could be. To see it grow from a tiny, ramshackle building on the outskirts of downtown to a huge affair the city shuts down Main St. for has been really cool! In that time, Columbia has grown into a town I quite enjoy living!
I'm not the most intuitive of cooks, but I'm always inspired to create at the farmers market. And with such delicious and beautiful produce, it's hard to go wrong! I snagged a ball of mozzarella from Charleston Cheesehouse, fresh squid ink pasta from Rio Bertonlinis and finally a little basket of oyster mushrooms from City Roots. I sauteed up the mushrooms with some asparagus (I admit, from TJs, not the farmers market) in plenty of olive oil to let the freshness shine through!
To make the sauce, I simply used a little creme fraiche. If you haven't tried it before, creme fraiche is made by fermenting cream, similar to how you make yogurt from milk. The result is a rich, thick, and slightly tangy cream. If you can't find it, a few tablespoons of heavy cream will work just fine!
Creamy Spring Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms, Asparagus and Mint
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 ounces fresh pasta
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch of asparagus, trimmed, cut into thirds
1/4 lb oyster mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons mint
1 cup peas, defrosted
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water then drain pasta in a large colander. Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add asparagus and saute 2-3 minutes. Add oyster mushrooms and cook until asparagus is tender and mushrooms are browned.
Turn off heat and add pasta to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir in creme fraiche, mint, and peas. Scoop into large serving bowl, stir in mozzarella, season with salt and pepper and serve.
More farmer's market inspired recipes for spring:
Spring Salad with Avocado, Radish and Lemon-Mint Dressing
Ultimate Veggie Avocado Sandwich
Roasted Asparagus and Radish with Mint-Pea Pesto