Pasta, the Italian Way

Dress pasta with clean and simple fresh ingredients for true Italian flair

Italians celebrate the rebirth of the land in spring by harvesting tiny dandelion leaves, shell peas, fava beans, artichokes, young garlic, asparagus andlots of early herbs such as chives, mint, oregano, little basil leaves and parsley. When fashioning a pasta dish with spring produce, I use the Italian approachand keep it clean. My aim is to blend one or two ingredients, say, artichokes and prosciutto, with maybe one herb, like basil or mint, and work the flavors gently, letting each ingredient shine.

When you’re highlighting a seasonal vegetable, you want to use it to create what Italians call a condimento, or a condiment for the pasta. That is where the vegetable and its cooking juices become one with the pasta. I often do this by giving the pasta and the sauce a final toss in the pan, adding a little more olive oil or butter and a splash of pasta cooking water to create a creamy emulsion. Scattering fresh herbs on at the last minute can really wake things up. Using the recipes and tips here, and also improvising with vegetable, sauce and pasta pairings, you can create spring pasta dishes with true Italian flair.

Penne with Ricotta, Young Zucchini, Lemon Zest and Mint

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Pasta topped with a dollop of ricotta is one of my all-time favorites. Here I make a quick sauce for it with tiny first-of-the-season zucchini, garlic, wine and mint. The ricotta gets mixed in at the table.

For the Ricotta

1½ cups whole milk ricotta, sheep’s milk if available

zest from 2 lemons

1 teaspoon sugar

3 big scrapings of nutmeg

pinch of salt

10 spearmint leaves, chopped

For the Pasta

salt, for cooking water plus to taste

about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 spring onion, diced, using all of the tender green stem

10 tiny, thin spring zucchini (or about 4 bigger ones), cut into rounds

2 fresh spring garlic cloves, sliced

black pepper, to taste

3 big scrapings of fresh nutmeg or ¼ teaspoon dried

1 pound penne

¼ cup white wine

squeeze of lemon juice

handful of spearmint leaves, lightly chopped

about 8 ounces pecorino Toscano or Sardo cheese, for topping

1. Mix all the ricotta ingredients together in a small bowl, adding a little warm water to loosen and smooth them out.

2. Set up a pot of pasta cooking water and bring it to a boil, adding a generous amount of salt.

3. While the water is coming to a boil, get out a large skillet, one big enough to hold all the zucchini and the pasta. Set it over medium heat and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the onion and the zucchini. Sauté until the zucchini just starts to brown at the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and season with black pepper, salt and the nutmeg. Continue cooking until the zucchini is lightly browned and tender but still holding its shape, 1 minute or so longer. Add the wine to the skillet and let it boil away, about 1 minute.

4. Drop the penne into the boiling water. When it’s al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes, drain it, saving about ½ cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the zucchini and toss briefly over low heat, adding the lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and a little of the cooking water to loosen the sauce. Pour it into a large serving bowl and scatter on the mint and a few gratings of pecorino. Toss again gently. 5. Serve in bowls with a big spoonful of the ricotta on top and a little more grated pecorino, if you desire.

Variation: Another classic Southern Italian dish is pasta tossed only with ricotta. To make this, just toss your hot rigatoni (or any tube pasta) with the ricotta mixture, thinning it with a little pasta cooking water. Top with grated pecorino or Parmigiano.

Pasta e Piselli with Little Meatballs

MAKES 4 SERVINGS AS A MAIN COURSE SOUP

Pasta with peas is a classic spring dish in Naples and elsewhere in Southern Italy. It’s made both as a straight pasta dish and as a soup. When I was a kid, I was always served it soupy. My Puglian grandmother often added baby meatballs, making it a full meal. I loved that, so I’m sharing that approach here.

PASTA E PISELLI WITH LITTLE MEATBALLS

For the Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large egg

⅓ cup dry breadcrumbs, preferably homemade

½ cup grated Grana Padano

1 large spring garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

black pepper, to taste

salt, to taste

6 large sprigs of thyme, the leaves chopped

10 basil leaves, well chopped

For the Soup

¾ pound ditalini, or another small pasta such as orzo or elbow salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

8 cups homemade chicken broth, or very high quality store-bought broth

1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

2 cups freshly shucked spring peas or frozen peas (not baby ones), defrosted

zest from 1 lemon

4 or 5 gratings of freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup grated grana Padano cheese

12 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade, for garnish

1. Place all the ingredients for the meatballs together in a mixing bowl. Mix gently and quickly with your hands, just until everything is blended. You don’t want it getting too compact; that’ll make your meatballs tough. Form the mixture into ½-inch balls (the smaller the better for soup) and lay them out on a flat plate. Refrigerate for about 1 hour to firm them up.

2. Set up a pot of pasta cooking water and bring it to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Drop in the ditalini and cook al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well, and place in a bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.

3. Pour the chicken broth into a large soup pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaf and boil down for about 5 minutes, just to concentrate the flavor. Turn the heat down a little and add the peas and meatballs. Let simmer just until the peas are tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 4 minutes.

4. Add the ditalini to the broth, along with the lemon zest. Season with black pepper. Simmer 1 minute longer to further blend the flavors. Check for seasoning. Serve in large soup bowls topped with a big sprinkling of Grana Padano. Garnish with the basil. If you prefer to serve the soup later, you can gently reheat it.

Variation: If you happen to have fresh pea shoots, you can garnish each bowl with a few of those instead of the basil.

Spaghetti with Wild Arugula, Shrimp and Sweet Breadcrumbs

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

I use baby arugula when I don’t have my own wild Mediterranean arugula, which is more pungent. I suggest it as a good substitution in this recipe. I like treating young arugula as a spring herb, adding it at the last minute to preserve its freshness.

For the Breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry breadcrumbs, preferably homemade, not too finely ground big pinch of Aleppo pepper or a little ground cayenne

1 teaspoon sugar salt, to taste

1½ pounds large shrimp (wild caught, if possible), peeled and deveined, saving the shells

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup dry white wine

salt, to taste

2 large spring garlic cloves, thinly sliced

zest from 1 large lemon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 bunches wild or baby arugula, well stemmed (about 2 cups)

1. To make the breadcrumbs, heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, the Aleppo or cayenne, and the sugar, and season with salt. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the breadcrumbs are lightly golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Put them in a small bowl and set aside.

2. To make a light shrimp broth, place the shrimp shells in a medium saucepan. Drizzle them with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Let the shells sauté until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of warm water and a big pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil, and then turn the heat down a notch and let everything simmer at a low bubble, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Strain the broth and set it aside. You should have about ¾ cup.

3. Set up a large pot of pasta cooking water. Add a generous amount of salt and bring it to a boil. Add the spaghetti.

4. Set a large skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the shrimp, spreading it out in one layer. Add the garlic. Sprinkle on the allspice and the lemon zest, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sear the shrimp on one side without moving it around too much, until you see that it’s turning pink at the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn it over with tongs and briefly cook the other sides, about 1 minute longer. Pour on the shrimp broth, and let it bubble for a few seconds. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, letting it melt in.

5. When the spaghetti is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes, drain it, and pour it into a large serving bowl. Pour on the shrimp sauce. Add the arugula and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss well. The heat from the pasta will gently wilt the arugula. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or black pepper if needed. Sprinkle the top with about 1 tablespoon of the breadcrumbs, bringing the rest to the table. Serve immediately.

Variation: You can use another tender spring green such as young dandelion or baby spinach instead of the arugula.

SPAGHETTI WITH WILD ARUGULA, SHRIMP AND SWEET BREADCRUMBS

Pappardelle with Artichokes, Prosciutto and Basil

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Using baby artichokes, which have no chokes to worry about, makes this elegant dish quick to come together. For a vegetarian version, just leave out the prosciutto and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth or a little water.

For the Artichokes

juice and grated zest from 1 lemon

2 dozen baby artichokes (a few more if they’re really small)

2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 spring onion, finely diced

1 large spring garlic clove, thinly sliced

½ cup dry vermouth

¾ cup chicken broth, homemade or good quality store bought salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Pasta

salt, for pasta cooking water

1 pound pappardelle

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 very thin slices prosciutto di Parma or San Danielle, cut into thin strips

8 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano

15 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

⅓ cup lightly toasted pine nuts (optional; See Cook’s Note)

1. Set up a big bowl of cold water and add the lemon juice (set aside zest). Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes and trim the tops of what remains. Quarter the artichokes lengthwise and drop them into the lemon water. This will help prevent them from darkening.

2. Choose a sauté pan big enough to hold all the artichokes and heat over medium heat. Add 2½ tablespoons olive oil. Scoop the artichokes from the lemon water, shake off any excess liquid, and put them in the pan. Sauté to coat them in the oil, about 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté 1 minute longer. Add the garlic and cook it just until it gives off its aroma. Add the vermouth and let it bubble for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, partially cover the pan, and simmer the artichokes until they’re just tender when poked with a knife, about 7 or 8 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper and the lemon zest.

3. Set up a pot of pasta cooking water and add a generous amount of salt. Drop in the pappardelle. When the pasta is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes for fresh pasta, drain it, saving a little of the pasta cooking water, and tip it into a big serving bowl. Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss gently. Add the artichokes and all their cooking juices, the prosciutto, about 1 tablespoon of grated Parmigiano, the basil and a few more grindings of black pepper. Toss, adding a bit of the pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Check for seasoning. Scatter the pine nuts on top, if you’re using them. Serve hot, bringing the rest of the Parmigiano to the table.

Cook’s Note: To toast pine nuts, preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread nuts on a sheet pan and place in the oven. Roast until they’re just turning golden, about 6 minutes. Keep an eye on them—nuts can go from toasted to burned very quickly.

Variation: You can make this with asparagus instead of artichokes. Just blanch the spears, cut them at an angle, and add them to the pan when you would have added the artichokes. The cooking time will shorten to only several minutes, and you won’t need the chicken broth.

PAPPARDELLE WITH ARTICHOKES, PROSCIUTTO AND BASIL

ANELLETTI AL FORNO

Anelletti al Forno

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This baked pasta is a Sicilian classic often served on holidays, especially Easter, since it always contains spring peas. Anelletti means little rings. It’s an elegant, traditional Sicilian pasta shape. If you can’t find it, ditalini, penne corta, cappelletti or even elbow maccheroni will all do fine.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 ounces pancetta, well chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 pound ground pork

½ pound ground veal or beef

1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice

1 large spring garlic clove, thinly sliced

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch cayenne

1 bay leaf, fresh if possible

½ cup red wine

½ cup chicken broth 1 (35-ounce) can plum tomatoes, well chopped, including the juice

2 cups freshly shucked spring peas or frozen defrosted peas (not baby peas)

10 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs, the leaves chopped

1 cup grated caciocavallo cheese, or a mix of mozzarella and provolone, divided

1 pound anelletti pasta

½ cup breadcrumbs, not too finely ground, preferably homemade

1 teaspoon sugar

1. Set a large stew pot with a lid over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the pancetta. Let the pancetta crisp up, about 4 minutes. Add the pork and beef and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne. Sauté about another minute to blend all the flavors. Add the bay leaf and the red wine and let the wine bubble for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

2. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Let simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 1½ hours. In the final 10 minutes of cooking, add the peas and marjoram or oregano. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes, then add ¾ cup of the caciocavallo, mixing it in.

3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

4. Put up a pot of pasta cooking water. Add a generous amount of salt and bring it to a boil. Add the anelletti and cook it to al dente, about 7 to 9 minutes, maybe a little firmer than usual, since it’s going to be baked. Drain the anelletti and add it to the sauce, giving it a good stir.

5. Coat the inside of a large baking dish with olive oil—round is traditional, but a 12x10-inch rectangular or an 11-inch oval is fine—and pour in the pasta.

6. Mix the remaining caciocavallo with the breadcrumbs, seasoning it with a little salt, black pepper and the sugar. Sprinkle this over the top of the pasta. Drizzle it with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

7. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until it is bubbling at the edges and the top is browned, about 20 minutes. Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Variation: You can mix up the meat here. Use all-beef if you like, or a mix of beef and veal. Ground lamb also makes a great springtime ragu.

BY ERICA DE MANE

PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN

FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS