Friday 13 April 2012

The First Snows of Spring

Gemelli con Funghi, Piselli, Limone e Timo
Gemelli Noodles with Mushrooms, Snow Peas, Lemon & Thyme


Please don't look so surprised... it is a Friday evening and you KNOW I am going to be using up whatever I have in my fridge before I go to the indoor market again tomorrow to get some great, fresh produce. So you knew very well that I would be using up the rest of the mushrooms that didn't get cooked yesterday evening. Ah, but you also knew that I wouldn't let you down and that I would make something completely different and fresh at the same time... at least I hope that is the case!

So this evening I decided to make a fresh and light pasta dish that would be perfect for the Springtime... if it would only begin! But I am sure you have as little patience and as little time to spare as I have... so let's bring out a bit of sun at the dining table at least!


This is a very simple dish with very little prep work. I am sure you are happy about that! In fact, the only thing you need to do before we get started in earnest, is to take a couple of slices off a lemon, pop them in a glass and pour boiling water over them. This will remove any wax, chemicals or bitterness from it- which is indeed a good thing! Once you have done that and let it soak for 4-5 minutes, remove from the water and cut into fine shreds to be used as a garnish later on.

Next step- start boiling the pasta! Do this in a mixture of half water/half milk, for 5 minutes. While it is boiling away, sautée the finely sliced mushrooms in a little clarified butter. After 2-3 minutes, add some Spring onion, crushed garlic, plenty of fresh thyme, some finely chopped chives and a little olive oil.

Once the pasta has boiled for 5 minutes, add the snow peas and continue to simmer for a further 3 minutes and drain.

Transfer the pasta and peas to the frying pan with the mushrooms, season with nutmeg and pepper and continue stir-frying for a further 2-3 minutes until all of the flavors are nicely combined. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with a sprinkle of lemon zest and a last drizzle of olive oil... and enjoy! Who cares if it's cold and rainy whan you can enjoy food like this!



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