SPRINGTIME PASTA PRIMAVERA

SPRINGTIME PASTA PRIMAVERA


12-oz. farfalle
¼-cup unsalted butter
½-cup haricot verts (thin tender green beans), ends trimmed
½-cup thin asparagus tips and stalks, sliced in 1-inch pieces
½ cup fresh peas
½ cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-cup half-and-half
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 seeded and diced ripe plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta just until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and quickly sauté the vegetables until just tender. Do not overcook. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half and cook to thicken the sauce, 5 minutes. Season well with pepper. Toss in the drained pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with diced tomatoes and chives or pea shoots, if available. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.