St Patrick’s Day Pasta, or “Green Spring Pasta”, serves 4

I know it is kind of ridiculous to pay tribute to an Irish holiday with an Italian meal, but it’s still green?! This fits the color code for the day, and is also a beautiful tribute to the Spring I wish would show up one of these grey days! It is filled with tender asparagus, freshly shelled peas and fava beans, and finished with a rich creamy sauce.

1 lb spinach linguini, (or plain egg if desired)
1 bunch fresh asparagus, (preferably on the thin side) bottoms trimmed
1 ½ cups shelled fresh peas
1 ½ cups shelled fresh fava beans

2 Tbs butter
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Freshly chopped chives

In a medium pot, heat salted water until boiling. While the heat is coming up to temperature, Fill two large bowls with ice and cold water. First add the fava bans to the boiling water, and cook them until they float, about 1-2 minutes. When they are done, immediately scoop them out with a strainer and plunge them into the ice water. Do the same with the peas. The asparagus should take slightly longer to cook, but then should also go strait into the ice bath.

Drain and set aside the green peas. With the fava beans, you want to remove the outer membrane that the blanching has loosened from around the actual bean. With the asparagus, you want to trim them into pieces about an inch long.

Start the water boiling for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. When the water is ready for the pasta, and you put it in to cook, you can also put the vegetables in to cook in the butter. Gently cook them for about 2 minutes, then add the cream and heat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta when al dente, and toss the pasta gently with the cheese, and then add the sauce with the vegetables. Toss to coat the pasta and to spread the vegetables out. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and serve hot.