Spaghetti with asparagus and green peas

This is a gorgeous recipe. It’s simple and takes advantage of some of the vegetables that are available in spring — asparagus and peas. Despite being a pasta dish, it is light and fresh.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 115g sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
• 225g asparagus, ends snapped
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup fresh English peas (can use frozen, but add them at the last minute)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced spring onion, white part only
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, more as needed
• Black pepper, more as needed
• 350g fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh
• 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped

Method

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into 1/2cm-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (you don’t want them too soft or mushy, 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
4. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1-3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Drain well and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano, crème fraîche and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper, if needed.