Spring Pea Pasta with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Ricotta
Spring is the season for peas and asparagus! Combine these fresh, green jewels with rich, homemade ricotta and salty prosciutto for an easy, elegant spring pea pasta dinner.
How long does Spring Pea Pasta take to make?
This pasta dish takes as long as it takes the pasta to cook, plus time to get all your ingredients together. In less than 30 minutes, you can have this pasta dish ready to eat!
Spring Pea Pasta is full of fresh, seasonal ingredients
Peas – Garden fresh peas, fresh off the vine are perfect for these.
Asparagus – In season, young asparagus are tender and add a beautiful richness.
Prosciutto – Rich and salty, prosciutto slices are torn into bite-size pieces and added to the pasta at the end. If you prefer, you can briefly toss the pieces in a skillet over medium heat to add some crunchy texture.
Ricotta – Use this recipe to make your own fresh ricotta, or use store-bought. Adding small dollops of ricotta to the finished pasta adds creaminess. Don’t skip this!
Orecchiette – Or small “ear” shaped pasta is cupped and catches all the delicious ingredients.
Parmesan – Freshly grated parmesan adds a wonderful nuttiness.
Olive oil – the finished pasta is tossed with olive oil and the rest of the ingredients. Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour!
Lemon – A squeeze of lemon juice is the final touch; the acidity of the lemon balances with the richness of the other ingredients.
Pea shoots – If you’ve never tried pea shoots, I encourage you to add these crunchy greens as a garnish. If you’re growing your own peas, just snip the growing tips from the vine.
Can I Make Substitutions when making Spring Pea Pasta?
Ricotta – Use store-bought ricotta instead of homemade.
Prosciutto – Try cooked ham, cut into small cubes.
Orecchiette – Substitute any short-cut pasta.
Can Spring Pea Pasta be Vegan?
Yes! Leave out the cheeses and prosciutto, and it will still be delicious.
The Spring Pea Pasta Method
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add orecchiette pasta and cook until just barely al dente. Add asparagus and peas to the water with the pasta, until both turn bright green, about 1-2 minutes. Drain pasta, peas and asparagus and place into a large serving bowl.
Toss pasta, peas, and asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice, prosciutto, and parmesan cheese.
If you prefer, you can briefly cook the prosciutto in a medium skillet to make it crispy.
Divide pasta onto two plates. Add dollops of fresh ricotta on top of pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle on more olive oil and add more parmesan if desired. Garnish with pea shoots for extra crunch and flavour. Enjoy!
Spring Pea Pasta with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Ricotta
Equipment
- 1 Pot to cook pasta, peas, and asparagus
- 1 Large bowl for mixing
Ingredients
- 2 cups orecchiette pasta dry
- 14 spears asparagus chopped
- 1/3 cup garden peas freshly shelled
- 2 slices prosciutto torn into pieces
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp fresh pea shoots for garnish
- parmesan freshly grated, to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add orecchiette pasta and cook until just barely al dente. Add asparagus and peas to water until both turn bright green, about 1-2 minutes. Drain pasta, peas and asparagus and place into a large serving bowl.
- Toss pasta, peas, and asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice, prosciutto, and parmesan cheese. Divide pasta onto two plates. Add dollops of fresh ricotta on top of pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle on more olive oil and add more parmesan if desired. Garnish with pea shoots for extra crunch and flavour. Enjoy!
Notes
