Pasta Primavera Recipe

Step 1

Set salted water to boil for pasta – 2 quarts water with 2 teaspoons salt, and boil pasta until al dente, saving one cup of hot salted pasta water.

Step 2

In an EXTRA-LARGE saute pan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Saute onion and fennel, until softened, add asparagus, snow peas (see notes for substitutions) and garlic, season with salt and pepper and continue to saute until tender-crisp and bright green. Slightly under cooking is better than overcooking here. 🙂

Step 3

Add the pasta, lemon zest, cheese, pea shoots and watermelon radish, and a little pasta water to loosen it, tossing to coat the pasta,  heating it up gently, allowing the cheese to incorporate. Toss in 2/3rds of the herbs. Taste and add more salt as needed. Add a generous drizzle of good olive oil or  added creaminess, toss in some plain yogurt- start with 1/2 cup, more as desired.

Step 4

Taste once more, adjusting salt and pepper. If it is bland, it needs more salt.

Step 5

Pour it onto a serving platter and scatter with the remaining herbs. Enjoy!