Simple Springtime Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon, cooking for about 5 minutes, until crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel and set aside. Return the pan with the rendered fat to the stove top for future use.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the peas into the water and cook them for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a strainer with a slotted spoon or a spider basket. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, or until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the bacon fat in the sauté pan over medium heat. Add the peas and asparagus, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the basil, and set aside.
• Whisk together the eggs and milk. Have the egg mixture, vegetables and bacon ready to toss with very hot pasta.
• Quickly drain the pasta and transfer immediately to a large serving bowl. Pour the eggs and cheese on top of the pasta, and toss vigorously to coat the strands and gently cook the eggs, forming a creamy sauce. Add the vegetables and bacon, and continue tossing to incorporate them. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Portion the spaghetti on plates and ladle any sauce left in the bowl over each serving. Grate additional cheese on top if you like.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
• While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 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.

Steps:

• Boil the pasta in salted water. Add the kale for the final 2 mins, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, dry-fry the bacon in a nonstick pan until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain off most of the fat, leaving behind about 1 tsp. Gently fry the onion in the fat for 2-3 mins until soft.
• Tip the cooked pasta and kale into the pan, then stir through the bacon and goat's cheese. Add a little of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems a bit dry. Serve in bowls scattered with grated Parmesan, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Tip in the garlic and cook for 1 min until lightly coloured. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, then stir in the basil. Bring up to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to gently simmer for 10 mins. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti according to pack instructions.
• Drain the spaghetti, reserving a little of the cooking water separately, then return to the pan. Add the artichokes to the tomato sauce until heated through, then pour it over the spaghetti. Stir in a little parmesan, most of the chopped parsley and a splash of the cooking water if the sauce looks dry. Serve immediately with the remaining parmesan and parsley sprinkled over.

Steps:

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the pasta, cook for 3-4 mins. Add the frozen peas and broad beans, then cook for 1 min more to heat through. Drain well, then toss through the olive oil and lemon zest. Place on plates, dollop over the ricotta