Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Peas

I love asparagus, but I am so tired of just steaming it.  I was looking for another option when I found this recipe for Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Peas from the New York Times Cooking.  So I decided to give it a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen.
 
You’ll see that the recipe calls for crème fraiche or whole milk Greek yogurt.  I went the yogurt route to be a little more healthy, but I could see how the crème fraiche would have added more flavor.

I also felt that there wasn't enough sauce, so I used 1/4 cup of the pasta water when I mixed it all together and that worked great.
 
I also used Buitoni Fettuce from the supermarket instead of making my own pasta for this one, since I needed it as a quick mid-week meal and I didn’t have any more fresh pasta on hand.  Two packages was too much – I’d recommend using a 1 ½ packages instead.
 
I love veggies in my pasta, so this was a win for me.  My kids, not so much.  But I will try again since it was so easy. Try for yourself and let me know what you think!

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Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Peas:

​INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
• ½ pound asparagus, ends snapped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup fresh English peas
• ¼ cup thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallot)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
•  Black pepper, more as needed
• 12 ounces fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh 
• ⅔ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
• ½ cup crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

PREPARATION:

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
3. 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.
4. 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.​