Featured Recipe: Pasta With Shredded Vegetables and Lavender

Like rosemary, lavender is a powerful and not tremendously versatile herb, and, like rosemary, it takes very readily to grilled lamb. But it really comes into its own when it is combined with vegetables, the herb performing more like thyme than rosemary. This dish is distinctive, different and altogether lovely.

Pasta with Shredded Vegetables and Lavender

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Time 30 minutes

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium-to-large zucchini, trimmed
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and trimmed
• 1 red bell pepper, cored
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic
• Several lavender leaves or flowers, or both (or use rosemary)
• 1 pound cut pasta, like penne or farfalle

Method

• 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Shred vegetables, using a food processor, grater or knife. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add garlic. When it starts to brown, stir and add vegetables. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, add a bit of lavender and cook, stirring occasionally, until they barely soften, just 5 minutes or so.
• 2. Meanwhile, cook pasta until it is just barely tender, a little less cooked than it would be to serve it. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Add pasta to vegetables and continue to cook, adding water as necessary to keep mixture moist.
• 3. Taste, and add more lavender to taste; it should be distinctive but not too strong. When pasta and vegetables are tender but not mushy, adjust seasoning for salt and pepper, garnish with a couple of lavender flowers if you have them, and serve.

source:NY