Creamy Asparagus Pasta with Mint and Peas is a simple dinner for a busy May evening
May is half over in all its busy glory — graduation parties, Orthodox Easter that happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo, the school year ending and all other things that make it a packed month. I’m not sure about you, but the lighter evenings have us outside much more often — planting flowers, taking walks and enjoying spring weather. Dinners these days are quick and easy to accommodate all the outside activities.
When the New York Times Cooking email hit my inbox with this week’s featured recipe, Creamy Asparagus Pasta with Mint and Peas, it was a no-brainer. I already happened to have all the ingredients right in the fridge and pantry. I love it when a trip to the grocery isn’t necessary to whip up dinner.
Generally speaking, pasta is more of a fall and winter dish for us, but these bright spring vegetables make this one perfect for this time of year. This pasta is made extra delicious by the pop of lemon zest and fresh mint that give it a light flavor. It could be a base for your dinner with some grilled chicken or grilled shrimp, but it stands alone just perfectly, too. On a nice spring day, I love a crisp glass of rose or a fruity, dry sauvignon blanc to accompany dinner. A little splash of wine on a weekday makes the evening feel a bit more special.
My husband has been busy planting the vegetable garden. It’s his project, and we get to reap the benefits. We have several kinds of tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, sage, mint and rosemary already planted. Coming up are an asparagus bed, some cilantro, flat leaf parsley, carrots, broccoli, rainbow colored beets, peas and pumpkins. We’re growing from seed, and while I realize we are behind the curve on that, we’ll just experiment and see how it goes. Perhaps we’ll succeed, and I imagine we’ll learn a gardening lesson or two as the growing season marches on.
Cheers to delicious spring pasta and gardening season.
Creamy Asparagus Pasta with Mint and Peas
1 teaspoon fine salt or table salt, more as needed
1 pound short pasta, such as campanelle
1 pound asparagus (about 1 bunch), trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw)
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup grated parmesan, more for serving
1 lemon, zested and halved
½ cup chopped fresh mint (or use parsley, basil or dill), for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions.
As the pasta boils, slice asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, peas, scallions and red-pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are bright green and just tender (but not soft or mushy), 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with the salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; pour mixture into a large serving bowl.
To the same skillet, add the heavy cream, ½ cup grated parmesan and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until reduced and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Return vegetables to the skillet and toss with the sauce to reheat.
When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup pasta, then drain well.
Immediately put the hot pasta in the same bowl you used for the vegetables and toss with remaining ¼ cup grated parmesan, lemon zest and mint. Add vegetable-cream mixture and the juice of half a lemon, and toss well. If the mixture looks thick, add a little pasta water to loosen it; it should be saucy. Taste and season generously with salt, pepper and more lemon juice as needed; it should taste bright and lively. Serve, topping each bowl with more parmesan, mint and a drizzle of olive oil.
New York Times Cooking, recipe by Melissa Clark
