Step 1

Safety first: never eat fiddleheads raw! They have natural toxins in the little furry part, so make sure to clean the fiddleheads using your fingers to remove as much of the brown papery husk as possible. Then rinse them several times with cold water.

Step 2

Boil fiddleheads for 15 minutes. Discard the water and set cooked fiddleheads aside.

Step 3

In a small bowl, mix canola oil, cheese, lemon juice, grated garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Step 4

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil (like really salty — the water should taste like the ocean).

Step 5

Add the pasta, cooking to al dente, according to the pasta’s package directions.

Step 6

Reserve one cup of pasta water, drain the pot and toss the pasta back in with the fiddleheads. Put in the cheese mixture and stir vigorously while slowly adding the pasta water, allowing the mixture to emulsify and make a light silky sauce that coats the noodles and fiddleheads (you might not need the whole cup of pasta water). Add basil and stir well.

Step 7

Portion pasta into bowls and finish with fresh cracked pepper and more grated parmesan. Enjoy immediately.