Project Description

Photo by Jaclyn Coleman.

Springtime Fettuccine with Baby Artichokes, Asparagus, and Burrata

Serves 4.
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest.

Spring veggie lovers rejoice! Inspired in part by Half Baked Harvest’s fantastic seasonal pasta recipes, we went straight to Full Belly Farms’ market stand to get its pristine chokeless artichokes, asparagus, and green garlic. With warm butter and cheese, this dish has an easy, no-egg carbonara kind of feel. Tarragon would go well too.

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces Community Grains Whole Wheat Fettuccine or Pappardelle (1 box)
  • 12 baby artichokes, trimmed and quartered (or frozen artichoke hearts, thawed under warm water)
  • ½ pound asparagus, tough ends removed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 3/4 cup fresh peas (or frozen peas, thawed)
  • 3 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
  • 8 slices fresh prosciutto, roughly torn (optional)
  • 6 oz burrata cheese, torn
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. While the water is coming to a boil, slice asparagus into 2-inch-long pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
  3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add artichokes and sauté for 3 minutes. Add asparagus and peas, and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until vegetables are barely tender (not soft or mushy). Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
  4. Drop pasta into rapidly boiling water and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes for Community Grains fettuccine. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons pasta water, and transfer pasta back into warm pot. While still warm, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and parmesan cheese, stirring to melt cheese and butter into a very light creamy sauce. Add some pasta water, if needed.
  5. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, herbs, and lemon juice. Divide among 4 plates and top with burrata and prosciutto. Drizzle each plate lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Note: Wondering how to deal with baby artichokes? Here’s what we do:

Use a serrated knife to cut off the spiky top third of the baby artichoke and discard the trimmings. Snap off the dark outer leaves from the base, continuing until you reach the tender, pale green inner leaves. (Sadly, yes, they will be quite small at that point). Use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer of the stem, until you reach the pale, tender inner layer. (Yep, they’re even smaller now).  Leave the stem attached. With a paring knife, cut off the tough bottom 1⁄4″ of the stem. The artichoke and stem should now be smooth and pale in color.

Use immediately or store submerged in water mixed with the juice of a lemon for up to 2 days.