Spring Pea and Asparagus Pasta

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 ounces) whole grain pasta (conchiglie, orecchiette, shells, fusilli or linguine will work)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 5 shallots, quartered lengthwise and sliced very thin crosswise
• 1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, woody ends snapped off, and cut in 1/2-inch slices on the bias
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups shelled fresh or frozen English peas (defrost peas if frozen)
• 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or regular Parmesan), plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from one lemon)
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (less than one lemon)
• 1 cup roughly chopped mixed herbs (I used flat-leaf Italian parsley, chives and mint, other suggestions include chervil and tarragon)
• 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

First, prep your vegetables. Then bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta for two minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in your largest frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
Add the asparagus and garlic, season with salt, and cook until the asparagus is knife-tender and bright green (about 3 minutes). Stir in the peas and cook until the peas are bright green (about 2 minutes).
Add the drained pasta to the pan along with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat. Cook until the sauce starts to coat the pasta (about 2 minutes). Remove the pan from heat and transfer its contents to a large serving bowl. Add the cheese and butter and stir to coat. (Add more pasta water as needed. The sauce should just cling to the pasta.)
Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs and pine nuts. Taste and adjust seasonings as required (add a pinch of salt, red pepper flakes and/or a squeeze of lemon juice if desired). Grate some cheese over the top and garnish with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.