Spring Cianfotta

Looking for springtime in a bowl? Ok, well maybe you're not, but if for some reason you are, the search is over. For a while now, I have been receiving daily emails from a fabulous website called Tasting Table. Not only do they have wonderful restaurant recommendations and inside tips, but very often they publish recipes from amazing restaurants in Los Angeles. That is how I have the tuna tartare recipe from my dear Chaya, the dill dressing recipe from my new fave Tender Greens and now this recipe for spring cianfotta. If you listen to KCRW and Good Food with Evan Kleiman, or if you have been to her restaurant, Angeli Caffe, you know how amazing she is in the food world. I was so excited to see this recipe pop up in my inbox a few weeks ago and even more excited to see all the ingredients at the farmers market the other day. With the insane hot weather we have been having, this is exactly the kind of food I am in the mood for. Nothing too heavy and lots of fresh bright flavors. Look at the colors here. So gorgeous. Since I like really crisp vegetables, I didn't cook them for as long as the original recipe called for. I also greatly reduced the amount of olive oil. The best part is that this is just as good hot as it is cold. Given the sweltering temps yesterday (100 degrees!), I was in no mood to eat hot food so I had this as a nice cool lunch and it was fantastic!

Spring Cianfotta
(From Angeli Caffe's Evan Kleiman)

Makes about 3 servings as a side dish or 1 large serving as a main dish

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 stalk green garlic (or 2 garlic cloves), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch thin asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, stem end and string removed; pods sliced vertically to expose peas
15 spearmint leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks and cook over medium-high heat until soft. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Turn the heat to high and add the asparagus, sugar snap peas and spearmint. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, until slightly softer than al dente, about 4 to 7 minutes; longer for softer vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and serve.