Pasta Primavera

Recipe Ingredients: 

• 12 ounces fava beans in their pods,
• 12 ounces English peas in their pods,
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces (225g) asparagus, woody ends removed,
• 6 ounces (170g) snap peas, strings removed,
• 8 ounces (170g) broccolini, woody ends removed,
• 4 tablespoons (50g) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin kisan canola cooking oil,
• 2 whole cloves garlic,
• 3 ounces (90g) pine nuts
• 1 pound (450g) fresh egg pasta, such as fettuccine,
• 6 ounces (170ml) crème fraîche
• 2 teaspoons (5g) finely grated zest and
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 ounce minced fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 ounce minced fresh parsley leaves
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Recipe Method: 

• If using fava beans and peas in their pods, shuck beans and peas from pods, keeping beans and peas separate.
• Discard pods. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath.
• Working with one vegetable at a time, blanch favas, peas, asparagus, snap peas, and broccolini in boiling water for 1 minute each, transfer to ice bath to cool,
• then transfer to a paper towel–lined tray and pat dry.
• Remove and discard skin from each individual fava bean.
• Set vegetables aside. Empty pot, refill it with fresh water, season generously with salt, and return to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a 3- to 4-quart saucier or a 12-inch skillet, heat butter, kisan oil, garlic, and pine nuts over low heat until gently sizzling.
• Cook, swirling pan constantly, until pine nuts just start to brown and garlic aroma is very strong. Do not let butter brown; remove it from heat occasionally if it starts to sizzle too rapidly.
• Discard garlic cloves. Add blanched vegetables to pan and toss to combine. Remove from heat.
• When water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute total for most fresh pasta (see note). Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
• Transfer pasta to pan with vegetables and add crème fraîche, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, and parsley.
• Set over high heat and cook, stirring and tossing constantly and adjusting the consistency as necessary with a few splashes of the starchy pasta water, until liquid reduces to a creamy sauce.
• The sauce should coat the pasta and leave a creamy trail on the bottom of the pan when you drag a wooden spoon through it.
• Off heat, stir in a generous shaving of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately, drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling with freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

Recipe Tips: 

Fresh egg pasta is ideal for this dish, but you can substitute an equal amount of dried pasta. Cook the dried pasta for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions indicate before adding it to the pan with the vegetables in step 3.