Fresh English peas, baby carrots, asparagus and pea shoots strewn through pasta with a spring garlic sauce feature the best spring vegetables in a dish that is easy to prepare
Author: Lisa Colburn Stewart
Ingredients
¼ lb asparagus, ends trimmed
¼ lb. spring carrots (or any carrots), peeled and sliced into long narrow slices
1¼ cups shelled peas (or frozen)
1 large spring garlic (or 2 garlic cloves and a small shallot), remove dark green tough ends and chop light green and white into a small dice
5-6 stems fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
¼ cups of parmesan cheese, or more to taste
10 oz dried spaghetti or favorite pasta (about ¾ of a 1-lb. box)
2 Tablespoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning to taste.
Black pepper, to taste.
Instructions
Put a large pot of water to boil while you prep the vegetables.
In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
Add the spring garlic and gently cook for 3 minutes, lowering heat if necessary.(Iit should make a gentle sizzling sound.)
Add the shelled peas and thyme sprigs and cook over medium to medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally to coat peas with the butter sauce.
Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the 2 Tablespoons salt and add the pasta, giving a stir. Cook pasta according to directions, adding the carrots to cook for the last 5 minutes and the asparagus for the last 2 minutes with the pasta. (for example, if your directions suggest to cook pasta for 10 minutes, add the carrots after 5 minutes and the asparagus after 8 minutes. ) Keep testing pasta as it should still have a little bite, "al dente."
Remove the carrots and asparagus to a plate and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the fry pan to toss with the pea and garlic mixture, adding olive oil as needed to coat the pasta completely. Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese and salt and pepper, to taste.
To serve, place a tangle of pasta in a bowl, add spears of asparagus and carrots and top with a small handful of pea shoots.
Recipe by FamilyandForks at https://www.familyandforks.com/pasta-primavera-english-peas-pea-shoots/