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. If you can’t find good fresh English peas, you can substitute frozen peas, but don’t add them until the last minute or so. This dish is best made with fresh egg pasta. If you don’t want to make your own, the Italian Centre sells fresh tagliatelle. Don’t overcook! Better under than overdone—you need the chewy bite to stand up to the gently cooked vegetables. It’s important to have everything ready to go as the dish comes together quickly.
The intense greenness of this dish along with the creamy sauce needs a wine that stands up to both and complements the flavours. The Greywacke does this in style. Elegant, complex, and flavourful, with stony minerality, full body and a distinct texture, along with a good amount of acidity, cuts through the creaminess to make this wine a perfect match.
| 1 sm bunch | asparagus, ends snapped |
| ¼ lb | sugar snap peas, stems trimmed |
| ¾ c | fresh peas (or frozen small peas) |
| ¼ c | spring onion, white part only, thinly sliced |
| 2 T | unsalted butter |
| 2 cloves | garlic, chopped fine |
| fine sea salt and cracked black pepper | |
| 12 oz | fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh* |
| ¼ c | grated Parmigiano-Reggiano |
| ½ c | crème fraîche or whole milk yogurt, at room temperature |
| 3 T | parsley chopped fine |
| 3 T | finely chopped tarragon chopped fine |
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute more. Season and set aside. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1-3 minutes for fresh pasta (more for dried pasta, according to pasta directions). Drain (leaving a bit of cooking water clinging to the pasta) and transfer pasta back to the pot. Over heat, toss lightly with the crème fraiche or yogurt, cheese, herbs and the cooked vegetables. Another crack of pepper, check if it needs more salt and serve immediately.
Serves 4.