is spring here yet?

The past three days have been freezing. That's no exaggeration. Seriously, below freezing, and most of the time, below 20 degrees. Hello?? I thought this was TEXAS. You'd think I'd been cooking up massive pots of soup to stay warm, but no. Strangely enough I was craving something summery and light in my efforts to make spring come more quickly.

I went to Central Market and it was clear that the grocery trucks hadn't made it. The produce section was still pretty full, but the meat department was totally depleted. Only one of the windows had meat in them. I guess this could also be blamed on the upcoming game this weekend. Either way, I'd never seen it so empty! Texans don't handle cold and ice very well. Fortunately, they had everything I needed for my spring time dish — vegetables and arugula.
I have to admit, I didn't invent this on my own. We went to San Francisco back in September and ate at this cute restaurant, Luella on Hyde Street. The food was classified as "Californian", which I took to mean, organic, fresh and delicious. After we ate, we hopped on the trolley and rode it down to Ghirardhelli Square and had Irish coffee at The Buena Vista Cafe. Perfect for our last night there! Anyway, the point of the story is that I had a pasta dish at Luella that was very similar to this one. Maybe even exactly the same.

If you're sick of the cold, make this. If not, save it for a sunny spring day!

Angel Hair with Zucchini, Squash & Lemon Zest, serves 3-4

• 1/2 lb. spinach or regular angel hair pasta
• 1 zucchini, ends removed, julienned
• 1 squash, ends removed, julienned
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 Tbsp fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• parmesan for grating
• salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, steam squash and zucchini over the water for 1 minute, set aside. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, do not burn. Add squash and zucchini, cook for another minute. Add pasta, basil and lemon zest and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Top each plate with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve hot.