Pasta With Pea Greens And Squid Food

CACIO E PEPE WITH PEAS AND FAVAS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepot of salted water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with water and ice and set a fine mesh strainer in the bowl. (Be sure to keep ice out of strainer.) Blanch peas for 30 seconds and use a slotted spoon to transfer peas to strainer in ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes and pull up strainer to drain peas. Repeat process with fava beans, cooking for 1 minute. (You can use same pot of boiling water that you used for peas.) When fava beans have been blanched and cooled, slip off peels.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
• In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add pepper and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking water and the remaining butter to pan. Stir until butter is melted and sauce begins to thicken, about 30 seconds.
• Add cooked pasta, pecorino and Parmesan and toss until cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Add peas and fava beans. Toss very well to coat, adding more pasta water if pan seems dry. Season with salt to taste. To serve, sprinkle each portion with more pecorino and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with chives.

PENNE WITH PEAS, PEA GREENS AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Meanwhile, steam the peas over an inch of boiling water for 4 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add the pea shoots to the steamer and steam 2 minutes, until just wilted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until you can handle them. Do not discard the steaming water; pour it into a measuring cup. Squeeze out excess water from the pea greens and chop medium-fine. You should have about 1 cup chopped leaves and tender stems.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the chopped spring onion or scallions. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the pea shoots and stir together for about a minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the peas, tarragon and parsley and about 1/4 cup of the steaming water and heat through.
• When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook al dente, using the timing instructions on the package as a guide but checking the pasta a minute before the time indicated is up. When the pasta is ready, using a ladle transfer 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the peas and pea shoots. Drain the pasta and toss at once with the vegetables and Parmesan. Serve hot.

PASTA WITH SQUID, TOMATOES, AND CAPERS

Steps:

• If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles, if attached, crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings. Pat squid dry.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic and chile, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add squid and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and wine and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Add raisins and capers and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
• Cook pasta in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
• Add pasta to tomato mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in basil, pine nuts, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. If pasta looks dry, moisten with more cooking water.
• Divide pasta among 4 plates, then drizzle each serving with some of remaining 3 tablespoons oil.

SUMMER PEA PASTA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic and chilli for a couple of mins until very lightly golden. Stir in the zest.
• Cook the pasta, adding the peas for the final 2 mins. Drain, then tip everything back into the saucepan. Tip in the garlic, chilli and lemon, scraping in any bits stuck to the pan. Tear in the basil, season and add the remaining olive oil. Stir well.