RECIPE: Midsummer Vegetable Pasta with Millet Shells in New-Garlic Butter

Groh Farm had new garlic yesterday (I've NEVER had new garlic before!!), green beans, and baby broccoli so I pulled together a pasta dish using the yellow zucchini and scallions I picked up from our farm store on Tuesday, and leftover peas from 2 weeks ago.  It was delicious and only used one pot, one bowl, and one cutting board.

Midsummer Vegetable Pasta (Millet Shells)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz butter
• 3 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh new garlic
• 2 Tbsp thinly sliced scallion whites and light greens
• 2 cups yellow zucchini, cut into ¼-inch thick half-moons 
• 6 cups water plus 1 T himalayan pink salt.
  
• 2 cups green beans, cut into ¾-inch pieces
• 2 cups young broccoli — stems cut into 1/2" pieces, tops separated into 1/2" florets
• 1 cup shelled peas (I used leftover, you can use freshly shelled or frozen)
• 8 oz millet pasta shells
• 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered and white pith removed (about 1 cup)
• Greens from the scallions, sliced into 1/16" chiffonade
• Lemon zest from one lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan

Here is my mise-en place for this recipe. I sliced the garlic right before sauteing it, and sliced the tomatoes and green onion tops while the pasta was cooking:

mis-en-place for summer pasta with millet shells

INSTRUCTIONS:

 In a 4-quart pot, over medium-low heat, sweat the garlic gently in the butter for 2–3 minutes. 

Add the scallions and saute for about 1 minute.

Add the zucchini, increase heat to medium, and saute until mostly translucent.

Transfer everything in the pot to a medium bowl.  Do not wipe out the pot!

Add 6 cups of water and 1 T. salt to the pot and bring to a boil.

If you're using fresh peas, blanch them for 2-3 minutes, then remove them with a skimmer to the bowl with the alliums and zucchini. 

Add the green beans to the water and cook until just done - mine took about 7 minutes, yours may take more or less depending on their age and size.  Remove them with a skimmer to the bowl with the alliums and zucchini. 

Add the broccoli to the water and cook 3-4 minutes.  Remove with a skimmer to the bowl with the other vegetables.  

Add the millet shells to the water and bring back to a boil stirring constantly to prevent sticking.  If there isn't enough water to cover the shells, add a little, but not too much.

Cook the millet shells for 8 minutes, stirring very 30 seconds or so, then cut the heat.  Let the pasta sit in the water while you chiffonade the scallion greens and cut the tomatoes.

Use the skimmer to transfer the pasta to the bowl with the vegetables, then pour the remaining cooking water in a container to save for later.  It will make a nice creamy but dairy-free sauce for something.  I had one cup of cooking water left.

Transfer everything in the bowl back to the still warm pan and stir gently to combine and reheat the veg.  If you used leftover peas, add them now. 

Finish with the cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, and black pepper or Espelette.  

Serve in soup plates, offering freshly grated Parmesan.  The parmesan adds just the right amount of salt.  If you don't use it, you might need to add a little.

Midsummer Pasta with millet shells, parmesan, and espelette pepper.