Spring Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Beat flour, eggs, oil, and salt together in a bowl. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a smooth and very thick dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until very smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover; let dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a thin sheet about 18 inches long using a pasta roller or a rolling pin. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flower petals, 1/4 tablespoon thyme, and 1/4 tablespoon dill on the lengthwise half of each sheet. Fold sheet in half over petals and herbs, then roll again into a thin sheet. Cut into long, 1-inch wide strips using a pizza cutter.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
• Toss with Parmesan cheese, butter, lemon zest, and juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the peas in the boiling water until bright green, about 20 seconds. Transfer immediately to the ice bath. Once cool, drain completely.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt until it tastes of lightly salted broth. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot and pepperoncini and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the maitake and oyster mushrooms and cook until softened, another 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
• When the pasta is cooked to al dente, add the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms directly from the pot, reserving the pasta water. Allow the pasta to finish cooking in the mushroom sauce, about 1 minute. Add the peas, butter and Fresno chile and stir to coat. Turn off the heat and add the Pecorino Romano in handfuls, stirring in between additions to prevent lumps. Add pasta water to thin the sauce as desired. Finish with the basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

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:

• Prick eggplant several times with the tip of a knife. Place it in a parchment-lined bamboo steamer set over boiling water, and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas, and season with salt. Cook, covered, for 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and pasta, and cook until pasta is al dente, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, in the same skillet you used for the peas, heat remaining tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add spring onions, parsley, sage, chives, garlic, cooked peas, salt, and 1 tablespoon water. Cook, covered, until onions are bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Add arugula, and cook until wilted. Top cooked pasta with pea mixture. Garnish with 1 tablespoon chervil and 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Remove eggplant from steamer, and cut lengthwise almost in half. Top each eggplant with 1/4 cup ricotta cheese; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and remaining tablespoon chervil. Top each serving of pasta with a ricotta-stuffed eggplant, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• In large skillet, over medium high heat, heat oil and cook onions until soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook about 8 minutes or until tomatoes have broken down.
• Add artichokes, olives and basil and cook until heated through.
• In meantime in large pot of boiling, salted water cook pasta until al dente, drain and place on large serving platter.
• Top with tomato mixture, sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces discarding the tough ends.
• Cut mushrooms in half or quarters.
• Cut bell pepper into 1 inch squares or strips.
• Combine vegetables in a bowl. Add olive oil and toss lightly.
• Add garlic, salt and pepper. Gently mix well.
• Pour into bar pan (cookie sheet with edges) and bake for 10-12 minutes until crisp tender.
• Snip basil with kitchen scissors.
• Prepare pasta according to pakage instructions.
• In a small saucepan, simmer whipping cream for 6-8 minutes, on medium low heat to slightly thicken. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.
• Drain pasta and transfer to large bowl. Add veggies, heated cream and basil. Toss lightly.
• Mix 1/4 c of parmesan cheese into the pasta.
• Spoon onto serving plates or dishes. Sprinkle with remaining paremesan and some additonal black pepper.