Feeling spring-y right now as everything is in bloom and my local grocery stores are starting to get in some of my favorite spring produce : artichokes, asparagus, and peas. I whipped up this pasta dish the other day and it’s not only easy, but it’s creamy without being heavy, and so pretty in the bowl. The fresh grated lemon zest on top absolutely makes the dish. Enjoy!
SPRING PASTA
½ pound pasta (I like orecchiette for this)
1 medium shallot, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 heaping cup of fresh peas (I love the ones at TJ)
¾ cup dry white wine
¾ cup heavy cream
8 slices of prosciutto, torn into pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Olive oil
1 T butter
Salt and pepper
Lemon zest
Finishing oil (I love Durant Arbequina)
*This serves 2 people or 1 hungry human
Heat oven to 425.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet and wipe it out with a paper towel, making sure to coat entire pan. Turn on heat to medium, drop in prosciutto, making sure not to crowd them too much. Once all the pieces are in, transfer your pan to the oven and cook prosciutto for about 8 minutes or until it’s crispy around the edges, but still somewhat chewy in the middle. Remove prosciutto, rough chop and set aside.
Boil pasta according to package directions – cook a couple minutes shy of al dente.
Return same skillet to the stove, heat to about medium, add 1 T of olive oil and 1 T of butter and saute shallots until soft. Add in asparagus and cook for 30 seconds and then deglaze pan with white wine. Simmer for about a minute, then add fresh peas and heavy cream, and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
Add pasta to sauce and let cook for a couple of minutes until the pasta has absorbed the sauce. You may need to add some pasta water if your sauce gets too thick.
Spoon into bowls garnish with a healthy sprinkling of crispy prosciutto and some green onions. With a microplane, zest a little lemon on top. Drizzle with olive oil.
