This simple pasta primavera uses a combination of the earliest vegetables available in spring — asparagus, peas and spring onions — making it a true celebration of the season. The sauce works best with fresh egg pasta, homemade or a good purchased brand. Make sure not to overcook it; you need the chewy bite to stand up to the gently cooked vegetables. If you can’t find good fresh English peas, you can substitute frozen peas, but don’t add them until the last minute of cooking.
INGREDIENTS (4 servings):
¼ lb sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
½ lb asparagus, ends snapped
2 Tbsp Garlic Oil
¾ cup fresh English peas
¼ cup thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallot)
½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, plus more to taste
12 oz fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh
⅔ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, at room temperature*
3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or basil
1 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon
drizzle of Basil EVOO
optional: lemon zest
optional: lemon juice or splash of wine at the end, if sauce needs a bit of acid.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
Add garlic oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are just barely tender (not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove skillet from heat.
Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and transfer into the skillet with vegetables, tossing to integrate; add enough pasta water to be saucey. Add herbs and drizzle of Basil oil (or your favorite best evoo), and continue tossing until integrated. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Plate and finish with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
You can also use frozen peas if you can't find fresh; add them to the colander so when you drain the pasta it cooks them, and add with the pasta to the veggie pan, so they do not overcook. Adding lemon zest right before plating or as a garnish is also delicious and pretty.
