variations on a theme: spring pasta with peas and asparagus

I just made a pasta with peas recently, but this is a lighter version. No cream sauce - but added asparagus, mushrooms, parsley, pine nuts... It tastes so fresh and spring-like. And I loved how the conchiglie pasta held the pine nuts and peas inside. Yum. I think it would also be good cold as a pasta salad for lunch. Don't skip the toasted pine nuts, and don't skip toasting them. It's an extra pan and an extra step, but they are soo good!

for two hearty portions:
1/3 lb conchiglie pasta - or shells - you want it to catch the peas and pine nuts.
2 shallots
1/2 lb asparagus, woody ends snapped off and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup mushrooms, cut into quarters or slices
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/3 cup parmesan
1 tsp lemon zest
chopped parsley (and/or other herbs you have around: mint, tarragon, chives)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, minus 2 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Saute the shallots, then add garlic, and asparagus, then mushrooms, and frozen peas - waiting a few minutes between each addition. Then add all this into the pot with the drained pasta, plus 1/2 cup pasta liquid. Add lemon zest, herbs, toasted pine nuts, red pepper flakes. Cook everything together. Garnish with a heap of parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like.

spring pea pasta with pancetta, spinach and shallots

This was dinner from my regular St. Olaf friends gathering. It's finals, the end of the semester, so we wanted a quicker, easier recipe. This one is delicious, and comes together quickly. Nicole brought an awesome salad and a grapefruit cake with candied violets on top. So pretty stellar for an "easy" mid-week meal, although a bit rich and indulgent. :)  It's easily made vegetarian by omitting the pancetta.

ingedients: shell pasta, peas (we had to use frozen rather than fresh because of this cold cold spring), spinach, pancetta, shallots, lemon, parmesan, half/half, mint or parsley. 

Boil the salted pasta water, add pasta (about 1/2 lb for 3 servings). When the pasta is done, strain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, chop shallots, pancetta. Cook pancetta till near-crispy in a separate pan, then add the shallot to soften.

Zest 1/2 lemon and 1 c parmesan.  Roughly chop spinach leaves and mint or parsley for garnish.


Melt some butter in the (emptied) pasta pot, then add 1 cup half/half (or cream). Let it simmer and reduce a bit. Add peas to let them cook. Then add shells back in, plus zest, parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix together, add pancetta and shallots back in, with spinach, just to get it wilted. Top with mint and an extra shaving of cheese.