This simple pasta primavera welcomes spring’s bounty – fresh asparagus and peas. The sauce is light with a touch of richness from the mascarpone and the crispy prosciutto adds a nutty savory surprise in every bite. The key to this dish is cooking the pasta, asparagus and peas al dente for that springy chewy bite. Add the shaved asparagus and peas to the pasta at the end right before serving so that they are gently cooked.
Cavatappi Primavera With Asparagus & Peas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot minced
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta substitute options: penne, rigatoni, fusili
- 1 lb asparagus (about 12 large stalks) shaved with a peeler
- 1 cup fresh peas substitute option: frozen peas
- 8 slices of prosciutto di parma
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- grated Parmesan
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer prosciutto to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes or until they become crispy.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for the cavatappi.
- Prep the Asparagus: Trim the bottom tough ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut the top buds off from the stalk. Then cut the buds in half lengthwise. Using a vegetable peeler, shave off thin layers of asparagus from the stalk. TIP: It's easier to peel thick stalks of asparagus than thin ones. If you can only find thin stalks, cut them into 1" pieces instead of shaving them.
- Prep the Fresh Peas: Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and drop in the peas. Cook them for 1 minutes and then drain the peas in a colander. Immediately transfer the peas to a bowl of ice water. After 3 minutes in the ice bath, drain the peas in a colander. TIP: If using frozen peas, soak them in cold water for about 3 minutes and then drain them in a colander.
- While the water comes to a boil, set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter to the pan.
- Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sauté them (2-3 min) until the shallots soften. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Then add the red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Decrease the heat to low and simmer the sauce for about 3 minutes. TIP: If the sauce becomes too dry, add 1-2 tbsp of water to the pan.)
- When the pot of water is boiling, generously season the water with kosher salt and cook the cavatappi al dente according to package instructions. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of the pasta water. Then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Add the mascarpone and reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir until it becomes melted into the sauce. Stir the pasta until the sauce becomes creamy. Then turn the heat off and add the shaved asparagus, peas and grated parmesan cheese. Toss everything together and season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper.
- Garnish with crumbled crispy prosciutto, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, more parmesan cheese and olive oil. Serve immediately.
