Spring Pasta

One of my most favorite birthday presents was a pasta making class at Eataly, given to me by one of my best friends (and business partner), Alex. It was quite the experience, watching experts deftly whip up the most divine fresh pastas from scratch and hearing them talk about all the prime ingredients that they use to make it all happen. The best part was that we got to eat it in the end--a whole 3-course pasta menu's worth of it, including wine pairings.

Pictured above is the fresh spinach fettucine that we made--the pasta dish that came out of it was, in my opinion, the best of the three, and perfectly easy to execute. I still don't know when I'll get up the nerve to try rolling out a batch of homemade pasta on my own, but luckily for me (and you), perfectly made fresh spinach fettucine is readily available at Italian markets everywhere. And below is the flawless recipe for what to make with it for spring. xo

Freshly made ravioli from class

The recipe they gave out to the class, covered in my hastily written notes

Spinach Fettucine with Chanterelles, Spring Peas, and Prosciutto

Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen peas, defrosted and drained

Salt

1 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced and chopped

Freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and crushed

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 pound spinach fettucine pasta

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

If using fresh peas, parboil them in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain them and set aside. Trim the tough ends and wilted spots from the mushrooms. Wipe them clean with a damp paper towel or wash them quickly and dry them well. Slice them thin and set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and add them along with the prosciutto to the oil. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until they are lightly browned and wilted, about 7 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, season them lightly with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir the peas and chopped parsley into the sauce and cook until the peas are tender, about 3 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, stir the fettucine into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in about three-quarters of the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a warm platter, top with the remaining sauce and serve immediately.