Pasta for Spring

Name: Pasta for Spring
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 large bulb fennel, base cut in half, then each half cut into thin half circles, and pale green stems cut into thin slices; 1 large bunch asparagus, tough bottom 2 inches trimmed and discarded, remainder cut into ½-inch pieces; 2 large cloves organic garlic, sliced; ½ cup white wine; 2 organic shallots, coarsely chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh organic tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; 2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin slices Pepper; 1 pound English peas, shelled, about ¾ cup fresh peas; Pinch of saffron; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Sea salt; 1 35-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes in juice, squeezed by hand; 12 ounces whole wheat pasta, penne or other

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Welcome to Claire's

By Claire Criscuolo

Published 2014

About

Fresh English peas require shelling, and that’s more work than buying frozen ones, but the flavor is astounding and worth the effort. Some of my best childhood memories are of my mother sitting around the kitchen table with a lady-friend or two, sipping lemonade, sharing stories, and shelling peas or snapping green beans.

Ingredients

Sea salt
12 ounces whole wheat pasta, penne or other
3 tablespoons extra-virgin

Pasta
Vegan
Spring

Method

Bring a large covered pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the pasta and cook according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the garlic,