I was cleaning my spice shelf (I feel like I do this like once a week) and found some poppy seeds hiding behind some jars. Accidental spice findings happened more often the then one might think in my house.. I like to buy tiny baggies of spices with good intentions of using them, but because of their tiny size, I often lose them or forget about them due to that tininess. But I usually find those tiny little bags, and when I find them, I try to use them right away..(I don't like having old spices around and no, I will not toss it) And it just so happened that I has a lemon in need of using.. and it was getting close to dinner time. I could wait and make lemon poppy seed cake or muffins, or just start dinner.
Then I was like, " I'll just make lemon poppy seed pasta." And so I did. And of course it needed to have lots of garlic and some kind of vegetable to round out the dish, (I know tomatoes are fruit but you know what I mean)
And the mister….He loved it. And I am sure you will too. How can you go wrong with lemon, garlic and poppy seeds all creamy and fragrant? You really can't, Pus this recipe is so easily adaptable. It can be vegan and or gluten free..whatever you want it to be.
So if you are looking for a fast, delicious, and impressive looking dinner… look no further. You gots one right here!
Start by tuning oven on to 400 degrees. Chopped tomatoes and sprinkle in oil and salt and stick in the oven. Do this first because the rest of the meal only takes about 10 minutes..So fast!!!
Choose your pasta and get a pot of water boiling and start on the sauce.. which includes, olive oil, lots of garlic, flour, milk(any kind you use), lemon zest a little lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.
The sauce is pretty much a basic roux…
Crush the garlic and stick into pot with the oil. Let simmer for a few minutes until you can smell the garlic, which smells like heaven. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the milk. Keep on low heat and continuously whisk until sauce has thickened and doesn't run off a spoon. Add in lemon zest, the poppy seeds, and the salt and pepper. Mix it all up and turn off heat.
Once your pasta is cooked (cook however it says to on package), reserve about a 1/4 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Add the pasta water and pasta the sauce. (the pasta water helps the sauce and noodles canooddle together)
And its all mixed up just waiting to be served…and the roasted tomatoes!
Scooped into a bowl with a scoop of the roasted tomatoes and some chopped chives, served with a couple wedges of lemon..just because.
And dinner is done…. and it took all of 15 minutes.
Thank me later.
-C
Lemon Garlic Poppyseed Pasta with roasted tomatoes
- 3 cups pasta (whatever you want..so it can be gluten free too)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour (use corn or arrowroot starch for gluten free)
- 2 cups milk (cow, hemp, soy…any kind you use)
- 6 cloves garlic
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 roma tomatoes (optional but really good)
- salt and pepper
Start by chopping tomatoes and placing them in a skillet or baking sheet, sprinkled in salt and a little bit of olive oil, and stick into a 400 degree oven
Bring a large pot of water to a boil add you pasta…cook to the boxes instructions.
While pastas is boiling, crush garlic and add to a pot with the olive oil. Heat on medium low heat until the garlic is fragrant and slightly brown. Now whisk in flour and then whisk in milk. Continue to whisk until sauce thickens to where it doesn't run of a spoon. Add in the zest of 1 lemon, the poppy seeds and salt and pepper to taste. When pasta is done (should be around the same time the sauce is done) reserve about a 1/4 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta from the rest. Add water and pasta to the sauce and mix together.
Remove roasted tomatoes from the oven. Scoop pasta into bowls and top with a scoop of the tomatoes. (you can mix into pasta, but it will turn the sauce red and the tomatoes will fall apart)
Serve with a wedge of lemon and bring food to face!
ENJOY!