Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
This simple pasta dish uses a combination of the earliest vegetables available in spring — asparagus, peas and spring onions — making it a true celebration of the season.
INGREDIENTS
120g asparagus
120g sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
170g fresh English peas
60g thinly sliced spring onion, white part only
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
340g fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh
150g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
125ml crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
25g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Black pepper
METHOD
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
While the water is coming to a boil, slice the sugar snap peas and the asparagus stems into pieces; leave the asparagus tips whole.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas, the asparagus, the peas and the onion. Cook until the vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), about 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Drop the pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Drain well and transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
Immediately toss the pasta with vegetables, parmesan, crème fraîche and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tip:
If you can’t find good fresh peas, you can substitute frozen peas, but don’t add them until the last minute of cooking.
