More buns and a zesty pasta dish...

I didn't bake anything new today, but I did throw together another batch of these fantastic hamburger buns that we love so much. I did change it up a touch by tossing on some sesame seeds... however, I ran out of the regular ones and threw some black sesames on the last couple of buns. I can't count how many times we've made these since I started them back in August of last year!

We've managed to stock up on a lot of pasta over the past few months for some reason, so you may have noticed a lot of recipes calling for it lately as we slowly downsize the pantry in anticipation of selling the house. Though, with the market as slow as it is out here, we will probably be out here for a little longer than we thought. Instead of boring house details, let's jump right in and get talking about what we had for dinner tonight.

I can definitely see making this Pasta with Lemon and Spinach dish again when it is the middle of summer and we're searching for a speedy, but light and fresh dinner to beat the heat. Once the batch of whole wheat penne is cooked, the sauce to coat the pasta is combined in the same pot to save on dishes. Butter, minced garlic, smooth ricotta cheese, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice form the creamy base of the sauce with a bit of the starchy pasta water being added to thin it out. Tender baby spinach and sweet red bell peppers are tossed into the sauce just until the spinach has a chance to wilt. After the pasta is tossed with the sauce and the dish is plated, a quick shower of sharp Parmesan cheese is the last step before diving in. The flavors popped in this dish with a bright citrus-y kick from the lemon zest and juice - the spinach and peppers gave it roots and splashes of color. If you still have access to good asparagus, feel free to toss in thinly sliced pieces instead of the spinach. Oh and the camera doesn't lie, the differences in pasta color are because I had to mix and match different brands.

Recipes
Pasta with Lemon and Spinach