Spring Orecchiette Pasta with Burrata, Fresh Peas & Asparagus Recipe

Ingredients

Pasta & Vegetables

• 16 oz orecchiette pasta
• 4 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 cups fresh peas (or frozen)
• 2 cups snow peas or sugar peas
• 1 cup asparagus tips

Mushroom Mixture

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced or quartered (cremini, shiitake, or buttons)
• 2 cups wilting greens (optional: dandelion, arugula, chard, or spinach)
• salt, generous pinch
• cracked pepper

Carbonara Sauce & Finishing

• 2 eggs, whisked
• 0.5 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese
• 1 ball burrata cheese
• lemon zest from one small lemon
• 0.25 cup fresh chopped herbs (mint, basil, dill, or Italian parsley)

Instructions

Cook Pasta & Blanch Vegetables

1. Bring a large pot with 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta and cook to al dente, about 7 minutes (or see directions on package).
2. During the last minute of cooking the pasta, add the fresh peas, sugar peas and asparagus tips to the boiling pasta, turn the heat up to high and quickly blanch for one minute.
3. Drain the pasta and veggies (reserving 1-2 cups hot pasta water). Do not rinse. Return to the pot, turn heat off.

Sauté Mushrooms

1. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until tender and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until golden and tender, 7-8 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Add greens and sauté, stirring often until just wilted. Set pan aside.

Make Carbonara Sauce & Assemble

1. Once the pasta is drained and back in the pot, gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons of the reserved hot pasta water, one tablespoon at a time into the eggs, to temper them (so they don't curdle). Stir well.
2. Pour tempered eggs over the pasta and with a big wood spoon, gently stir to coat the pasta.
3. Stir in the mushrooms, half of the lemon zest and half of the fresh herbs, cracked pepper and parmesan, adding more hot pasta water as needed to loosen the pasta and make it saucy.
4. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve

1. Place on a platter or bowl and sprinkle with remaining herbs and lemon zest.
2. Dot with dollops of burrata cheese and serve immediately!

Notes

• Trader Joe's often carries fresh shucked peas, which work great for this recipe.
• For the mushrooms, morels are wonderful if you can find them in spring.
• Don't skip reserving the pasta water—it's essential for creating the silky sauce.