By April 2028. The program is deep in spring practice and I've been watching the next generation of players with the particular attention of a coach who has seen enough talent to know what preparation looks like in April versus what execution looks like in November. They're not the same thing. April is all preparation. The November execution depends on what happens between now and then, which is the invisible middle of every season.
Sofia called on Sunday with news: she won the Pac-12 3200 meters championship as a sophomore. She called me from the track, same as always, slightly out of breath, and said, "I won the conference." I asked by how much. She said four seconds. I said four seconds is not by how much, that's a statement. She said she knew. She said her stride in the final four hundred meters was the cleanest she'd ever run. She asked if I'd been watching the streaming. I had been watching the streaming. I had been watching from the coaches' office during a break in film review. When she crossed the finish line I made no noise in the coaches' office. I went to the bathroom for ninety seconds and came back. Williams asked if I was okay. I said yes. He knew why I'd left. He didn't say anything. We watched the rest of the film.
Diego had eleven carries in the team's playoff game — his second NFL playoff appearance. They won. He'll be in the divisional round next week. He texted me after: "Still going." I texted back: "I know." The brevity of our text exchanges is, at this point, a language all its own.
After Sofia’s call and Diego’s text and a week of watching young players grind through April film sessions, I didn’t want noise — I wanted something that felt like the season itself: spring, clean, and quietly earned. Pasta with goat cheese, chicken, and asparagus is exactly that kind of meal. The asparagus pulls it into April where it belongs, the goat cheese gives it enough richness to feel like a reward, and putting it together didn’t require me to explain to anyone why I’d stepped away for ninety seconds.
Pasta with Goat Cheese, Chicken, Asparagus & Mushrooms
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 oz cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through, about 6—8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Saute the vegetables. In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more. Add asparagus and cook until just tender-crisp, about 3—4 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in white wine (or chicken broth) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Bring it together. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen the sauce as needed. Remove from heat and stir in the crumbled goat cheese until it melts into a creamy coating.
- Finish and serve. Stir in lemon zest and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide into bowls and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 540 | Protein: 42g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 390mg