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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
This is my mom Linda's recipe, which she adapted from Melissa Clark's Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Peas on New York Times Cooking, to make it work perfectly with cascatelli.
My mom says, "You can use the Melissa Clark recipe as the basis, using veggie/herb combination of your choice. I used frozen peas and added lots of fresh mint and parsley. The big difference is her recipe is for long pasta, preferably fresh. Because cascatelli is sturdier, it can stand up to more sauce, hence the addition of pasta water in the final assembly. Each forkful grabs asparagus, peas and fresh herbs, making each bite more delicious!"
Hear the story of my three-year quest to invent this new pasta shape in The Sporkful podcast series "Mission: ImPASTAble," and get cascatelli from Sfoglini.
Hear about the process of developing this pasta shape—and podcast series—from Dan himself on our podcast The Genius Recipe Tapes. —Dan Pashman
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Ingredients
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1 pound
asparagus, ends snapped
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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1 pound
frozen peas
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A handful of pea shoots
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1/4 cup
thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallot)
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2
green garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1/2 teaspoon
fine sea salt, more as needed
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Black pepper, more as needed
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12 ounces
Cascatelli
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Juice and zest of 1 lemon
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2/3 cup
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
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1/2 cup
crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
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3 tablespoons
finely chopped parsley
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1 tablespoon
finely chopped mint
Directions
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Bring a large pot of 3 quarts of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
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While the water is coming to a boil, slice asparagus stems into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, peas, and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in green garlic and pea shoots and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
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Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (12 minutes). Reserve 1/2-3/4 C of pasta water. Drain the pasta and transfer it back to the large skillet. Immediately toss pasta with ½ cup pasta water, lemon juice, and vegetables. Simmer for one minute.
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Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, crème fraîche, and herbs. Season generously with salt, pepper, and lemon zest to taste, and top with more pea shoots.
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