Spring Pasta

This pasta is perfect for spring with a mix of roasted vegetables and fresh, raw vegetables in a very light cream sauce.

You can combine whatever fresh vegetables look best at the market. I would have loved to have had access to asparagus to add to this, unfortunately the batch at the store was a bit shriveled, which can give it a woody texture, so I passed on the asparagus and added slivered artichoke. Quite a good exchange.


Ingredients:
8 ounces, roasted cherry tomatoes (see instructions below)
6 roasted garlic cloves, thinly sliced (see instructions below)
1, large artichoke heart, slivered (see instructions below)
4 ounces thinly sliced Pancetta, crisped (See Recipe Categories)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pasta water, set aside
4 lemons, divided
1 carrot, shaved
4 ounces, Parmesiano Reggiano, shaved (see instructions below)
4 ounces, feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup cooked petite green peas
2 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped)
4-6 basil leaves, ribbons
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces lemon infused pasta (see instructions below) - In this dish I opted for whole grain Rotini.

INSTRUCTIONS
For lemon-infused pasta add two or three fresh lemons to the water you will be cooking the pasta in.
Tip: Because the pasta gets its only flavor from the water, it is very important to give the water a liberal addition of salt before boiling. Adding lemon, gives the pasta a wonderful lemon zing. I halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into the water, holding one hand underneath the lemon to catch the seeds. Discard the seed but throw the leftover rind halves into the water. The oils from the lemon are essential for adding flavor. I also add oil to the boiling water. I realize it just floats on top as the water boils so you’re probably wondering what good it does – The good comes in when you go to drain your pasta as it does aid in the noodles not sticking together in the strainer.

Boil your pasta per package instructions.  Before straining, pull out ½ cup of the boiling water and set aside. Strain the rest of the water out of the pasta and remove the lemon rinds.

In a large bowl, combine the roasted cherry tomatoes, sliced roasted garlic, slivered artichoke, crispy Pancetta, heavy cream, the pasta water you set aside, the juice of one lemon, carrot, peas, fresh tomato, green onions, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes – pour pasta atop and toss to combine. Top with shaved Parmesiano Reggiano and crumbled feta.

Roasting cherry tomatoes:

Place tomatoes on rimmed baking sheets.
(For grape tomatoes - leave whole.)
(For cherry tomatoes - halve and place cut side up.)
(For Roma tomatoes - halve, remove seeds and place cut side up.)
Drizzle tomatoes with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. *Optional: Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Roast tomatoes at 350-degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until wilted and slightly golden.

Roasting Garlic
Cut the top third off the head of one large garlic. Place garlic, cut side up, in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake 350-degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until garlic is soft to touch. Let cool before handling, then squeeze softened garlic from paper-like casings.
For slivered roasted garlic leave cloves whole and refrigerate to firm up before slicing into slivers.
For garlic paste smash cloves while still warm with some of the oil, salt and pepper it was roasted in to form paste.

Preparing Artichoke for Slicing

Cut artichoke in half, lengthwise. Remove leaves from heart - These can be served with a dip if you wish, but for this purpose I only needed the heart (so I snacked on the tips of the leaves while making the pasta...that's the best use yet!) Remove any remaining fur from center of artichoke. Using a vegetable peeler, clean up stem of heart.

Cut heart into quarters, lengthwise.
Slice each quarter, lengthwise, into thin slices.
Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Set aside.
(For use in a cold salad, refrigerate until ready to use).


 

For Shaved Parmesanio Reggianio use an extra large grater.
If you do not have such a large grate, you can use a vegetable
peeler and simply shave strips off the side of the block of cheese.
I've not seen a grater as large as mine before. My mother-in-law found it in an antique store - she is always spot on with those perfect, unique gifts! It's great (or should I say "grate") for making slaw as well.
 

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." Federico Fellini