Mother's Day Ideas & Recipe for Broken Lasagna Noodle Primavera

 

Hosting a Mother's Day meal this year? Whether it is your first time or your 21st - here are a few tips to help make the celebration a success and a few menu ideas.

1. Flowers are wonderful - as gifts, on the table, around the room - or all of the above. Arrangements, cut flowers, or potted plants all add color, and a pretty touch. Consider mixing things up and including small pots of herbs, or starter plants for her vegetable garden like tomatoes which can be grown in containers on her porch or deck.

2. Breakfast in bed, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, happy hour, dinner and dessert are all fabulous options for celebrating the Mom in your life. Find the tradition that works best and just own it!

3. What does she enjoy? Tea? Coffee? A bit of the bubbly? A Blood Mary filled with spears of fresh vegetables and a skewer of shrimp? Choose a cocktail or special drink that honors her tastes. 

4. Do not in any way create work for Mom as a result of the celebration. Cooking? Well, that means you are also setting up, clearing and cleaning. 

5. Keep safety precautions in mind. If it's not safe to celebrate in person, consider leaving a basket of goodies at Mom's door with a special card or send a video message AND a phone call.

So...about the menu ideas and recipes. Make what Mom likes. Make the latest trend. Make whatever is the tradition. Looking for new ideas?

Click here for my Zulily Mother's Day menu post. 

This is one I am looking forward to making:

PASTA PERFECTION – BROKEN LASAGNA NOODLE PRIMAVERA 

What is more fun than the ribbon, curlicue, edges of lasagna noodles when it comes to pasta shapes? Tired of making a full pan of the traditional baked dish or looking for a bright, springtime primavera twist? Looking for a recipe that allows a lot of flexibility for swap outs and customizing to your family’s tastes? Need a gluten-free, dairy-free item on the menu? Broken lasagna noodle primavera is the answer! 

Ingredients:

• 1-pound of lasagna noodles (regular or gluten-free) broken to create about five pieces per noodle 
• 1-pound asparagus, trimmed 
• 1 cup peas or ½ pound of sugar snap peas 
• 1 small head of broccoli or broccolini 
• 1 small zucchini halved and chopped into half-moons 
• 1 bunch of chopped green onion or one small, thinly sliced shallot 
• 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil 

Sauce ingredients 

• ½ cup of olive oil 
• 1 – 2 cloves of finely minced garlic 
• ½ cup chopped parsley 
• 1 cup reserved pasta water 
• Juice from one fresh lemon 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425 °. 
2. Boil salted water in a large pot and cook broken lasagna noodles according to package directions. 
3. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the noodles and set aside. 
4. Combine asparagus, broccoli or broccolini, zucchini, onion, or shallot, with olive oil, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
5. Roast the vegetables in the oven until they are tender (about 15 minutes). 
6. In a saucepan, combine olive oil and garlic and simmer over medium heat until fragrant. Add ½ cup of pasta water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 1 – 2 minutes.  
7. Combine and toss broken lasagna noodles, roasted vegetables, and sauce in a large bowl. If more sauce is needed, add the remaining reserved pasta water.  
8. Top with parsley and serve. 

Remember - a recipe is just a guide. I might add shrimp. Maybe I will grill the asparagus first. Maybe the grocery store broccoli didn't look good and I had to leave it out. All good.

What do we do at my house? Typically I host a brunch, with mimosas or perhaps a punch, and my sister and I provide an assortment of dishes mostly focusing on breakfast foods - could be pancakes, waffles, egg casseroles, sausage, ham, potatoes, fruit, and pastries - to name a few past successes. THEN, if the weather allows, we all head outside for a group game of maybe kickball or I think this year it will be Whiffle Ball. It can get pretty competitive, but we have a great time and a group photo before heading back inside for some decadent desserts. Mother's Day always leaves us feeling Fed Well and happy for being together.