Asparagus, Squash & Red Pepper Sauté

I am 27. Ryan birthday surprise was a cooking class — a real one, in-person, a Saturday morning class on pasta making at a school in the West Loop that I have had bookmarked for years and mentioned once in 2020 and never again. He had been tracking it since then. We went together on my birthday Saturday and spent three hours making fresh pasta with a proper instructor and Ryan made a comment about his pasta being better than mine and I made a comment about his pasta being acceptable and the instructor intervened diplomatically. We came home with a full bag of fresh pasta and made all of it for dinner that night with a simple butter and sage sauce and it was excellent.

Patty called at 7:15 exactly. Babcia Rose called and prayed at me in Polish for three minutes and then asked about the stand mixer and then about the baby. I said we were working on it. She said good. She said be patient. I said I was being patient. She said I know. She said she had been patient all her life and it always turned out to be worth it. I held that sentence after she hung up. Babcia Rose has been patient through things I cannot imagine being patient through. If she says it is worth it, it is worth it.

Steve birthday call: I sang. He said thank you. I asked what he made in the garage. He said not yet. I said okay Steve. He said soon. I said I would wait. He said he knew I would. This is a full conversation in the Steve Kowalczyk language.

The blog post for my birthday this year is: what 27 means in practice. It means: I know how to make beurre blanc and I know how to calm down a dysregulated seven-year-old. It means I have been taking prenatal vitamins for six months. It means I have a grandmother who has been patient through things I cannot imagine. It means: I am ready for what comes next, whatever it is, when it comes.

We came home from that class with enough fresh pasta to feed six people and approximately zero plans beyond making all of it — which we did, with a simple butter and sage sauce and not a single regret. But butter and sage is rich, and after three hours of hands-on cooking I wanted something on the table that was fast, bright, and didn’t ask anything of me. This asparagus, squash, and red pepper sauté was exactly right: ten minutes, one pan, and enough color to make the whole dinner feel like a celebration without turning my birthday kitchen into a second cooking class.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prep the vegetables. Trim, slice, and cut all vegetables to roughly uniform sizes so they cook evenly. Pat dry with a paper towel if damp.
Heat the pan. Warm olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
Saute the squash and pepper. Add the squash and red bell pepper to the pan in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 2 minutes to develop some color, then toss and cook 1 minute more.
Add the asparagus and garlic. Add the asparagus pieces and garlic. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss to combine and saute, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender and bright green, about 4—5 minutes.
Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Drizzle with lemon juice, toss once more, and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Asparagus, Squash & Red Pepper Sauté — The Side That Made Our Birthday Pasta Dinner Complete