Fresh Pasta Primavera

Primavera means “spring” in Italian, and it’s an apt name for this dish that is bursting with asparagus, sugar snap peas and English peas, all of which reach their peak in the spring. The delicate angel hair pasta for this dish can be made from scratch in less than 15 minutes using a Philips pasta maker, or you can purchase dried angel hair pasta and prepare it according to the package instructions.

 

Fresh Pasta Primavera

 

1/2 lb. (250 g) asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

 

For the pasta:

3 1/4 cups (1 lb./500 g) all-purpose flour

2 eggs

6 Tbs. water

 

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. chopped shallots

2 tsp. minced garlic

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) white wine

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) heavy cream

4 oz. (125 g) sugar snap peas

1 cup (5 oz./155 g) frozen peas

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving

1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs such as mint, chives, chervil and flat-leaf parsley

 

Bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Using a strainer, scoop out the asparagus and transfer to the ice water to cool. Scoop the asparagus out of the water and set aside. Set aside the pot of water.

 

Using a Philips pasta maker fitted with the angel hair die, use the flour, eggs and water to make angel hair pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Return the pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of the pasta cooking water. Set aside.

 

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butter and cream and continue cooking until the mixture has reduced slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus, sugar snap peas and frozen peas and cook until the vegetables are warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta, lemon juice, and cheese and toss to combine, adding the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to achieve a silky consistency. Add the herbs, toss again and serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table. Serves 4.

 

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen