For about 6 persons Soon, peas will be ripe in the garden. Spring brings countless dishes offering peas as the culinary protagonist: risotto con piselli, pasta con piselli e prosciutto… and this is an interesting one.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of lettuce… but NOT iceberg! Romaine or another sort, tender leaves
- About 2 1/2 cups of peas, baby ones and tender; if possible, fresh
- 2 Tbs. of butter 2 Tbs. of extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Fettucine* (whenever you are cooking pasta, allow about 100 g per person… or count on about 1 lb. for every 5 persons) In a small pan, heat butter with olive oil and then cook peas, simmering gently. Boil water for pasta – and salt water.
After about 15 min., add lettuce which has been carefully washed and sliced into julienne strips and add salt, pepper to taste. Cook a few min., adding a drop or two of hot water, if necessary to have sugo (sauce) right consistency.
Serve steaming hot over fettucine, cooked al dente. Add ground pepper as desired. An added nice addition: freshly-chopped mint. This pasta is not generally served with Parmesan… but add if you wish to, give it a try.
*Note: fettuccia = “ribbon”