Enjoy the fresh flavours of spring with this simple pasta dish that celebrates the season’s freshest vegetables: tender artichokes, crisp asparagus, and sweet peas – the colours and flavours as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. You can use broadbeans if you are fortunate in finding produce that has not been harvested when the pods are too mature. It the beans are too big, you will need to peel off the outer layer.
The pictures tell the story.
I use good quality pasta and sometimes interesting shapes. On this occasion I used Croxetti, the flat medallions from Liguria, and my guests enjoyed it; they are in the shape of flat medallions and usually stamped with a decorative design. And of course, any short pasta will do!
Use this sauce made with Spring vegetables as a dressing for the cooked pasta.
Begin by preparing your main ingredient: the artichokes. Strip away the tough outer leaves, then slice them vertically into thin slices. Rub the cut surfaces with lemon to keep them from browning. Don’t overlook the stalks; remove their fibrous skin and slice the tender heart into thin rounds.
Strip the fibrous covering off the artichoke stalks and slice the remaining centre of the stalk into thin slices. To do this, cut off the very end of the stem and then strip the covering or use a paring knife to cut off the covering – expect the covering to be thick.
Asparagus is a springtime staple, and once you’ve snapped off the tough ends, slice the remaining stalks thinly, allowing them to cook evenly.
Asparagus are prolific in Spring. Once the tough bottom end of each asparagus is snapped off and discarded, slice the remaining stalks thinly as they will need more cooking than the top end of the asparagus.
In a saucepan, heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then sauté the artichokes and stalks until they begin to soften. Add a splash of white wine and a bit of stock, cover, and let them braise until tender. Set aside.
Next, bring in the spring onions and sauté them in the same pan until fragrant. Toss in the asparagus and your choice of peas or broad beans, adding a pinch of salt, pepper, and a hint of sugar to enhance the sweetness. For best results, cook in batches to avoid overcrowding.
Once everything is just tender, return the artichokes to the pan, stirring in a dollop of butter and a dash of grated nutmeg. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or basil for a burst of extra colour, freshness, and flavour.
Dress the cooked pasta to the spring vegetable sauce. For a creamy touch, top it off with a generous dollop of ricotta or grated Parmesan.
Fennel can also be added – consider adding sautéed slices for an extra layer of taste, texture and fragrance.
Enjoy the flavours of spring!
Artichokes are called Carciofi in Italian and there are several recipes on my blog:
ARTICHOKES and how we love them; CAPONATA DI CARCIOFI
SPRING PICNIC; Frittata with artichokes and asparagus
PASTA ALLA FAVORITA (Pasta with artichokes, broad beans, peas alla favorita)
*Use the search button to find more recipes about Carciofi/ Artichokes