The artichoke fest continues.... Today, in a quiet pasta along with mushrooms,
spring onions, asparagus and prosciutto.
It is quiet because there is no noisy sautéing...just gentle
stewing. Quiet also in that the flavors
are subtle...all coming together in a harmonious whole without one jumping
forward and shouting for attention. If you
have an artichoke...or two...on hand—and some white mushrooms (delicious with artichokes)—the idea of this pasta can be adapted to whatever spring
ingredients you happen to have in your kitchen.
To begin, add the thinly sliced artichokes
and mushrooms to a pan of melted butter.
I added finely sliced spring onions too, but a small leek...a
shallot....or even some green garlic...would be good too. If you have some thyme, that would be a fine
addition, as well as a sprinkling of lemon zest. But on this particular day, I chose to leave it
simple....
Once the artichokes and mushrooms have
begun to soften, add a splash of water, cover the pan and cook at a gentle
simmer until the artichokes are tender through.
I debated adding wine...and reducing it to a glaze....before I added the
water, but opted for the less layered, cleaner flavors of just the
vegetables. On another evening, I might
add some wine....but water alone really is just fine. If you have chicken stock, that would be
delicious in place of the water, and like the wine would add layer and
depth. No matter what liquids you
choose, as the vegetables cook, keep an eye on them to make sure they don't
simmer dry...add water to supplement as necessary.
When the artichokes and mushrooms are
tender, uncover and add some asparagus (blanched in the water in which the
pasta will be cooked), julienned prosciutto and roughly chopped parsley. These additions were a function of what I had
in my kitchen, but they could (and will) be varied to suit my ever changing
spring pantry. Peas...or fava beans
(which unfortunately I almost never have)...would be good in place of—or in
addition to—the asparagus. For the herb,
parsley is a staple in my kitchen, but as we move further into the growing
season, I might choose to use any number of the soft, young herbs that will be
showing up at the market and in my garden...arugula, basil, chives...even mint. As for the prosciutto, I don't think it is optional...it
adds richness, tang and salt. I finished
the pasta with Parmesan, but if you omit the prosciutto, I would recommend a
nice salty Pecorino instead.
As always, save some of your pasta water
to help extend the "sauce". As
you toss in the noodles, add a pat of butter—I love butter with the green
vegetables of spring, but its purpose here is also to thicken and enrich the
sauce. Cream would be another option
(add this to the artichokes and mushrooms before adding the green vegetable and
bring to a simmer)....or perhaps a blob of mascarpone, swirled in, just as if
it were butter.
If you—like me—love artichokes with mushrooms, you will love the idea of this simple...adaptable...spring pasta. I hope you will try it and make it your own.
Pasta with Artichokes, Mushrooms & Spring Vegetables
1 artichoke, turned, halved and sliced
cross-wise 1/8-inch thick and tossed with a squeeze of lemon
4 oz. white mushrooms, halved if large and
sliced cross-wise 1/8-inch thick
1/2 bunch very small spring onions
(scallion-sized)—white, pale-green and equal amount of green—thinly sliced
(you'll have about half of a cup)
2 T. unsalted butter
2 oz. (trimmed weight) asparagus, sliced
1/8-inch thick on a long diagonal (to make 2/3 to 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in
1/4-inch julienne
2 T. chiffonade flat-leaf parsley or
arugula
1/2 to 1 T. butter
8 oz. penne, farfalle or fettuccine
finely grated Parmesan
Melt butter in a medium, wide sauté pan
set over moderate heat. Add the
artichokes, mushrooms and spring onions along with a generous pinch of
salt. Stew gently until the liquid is
released from the mushrooms and everything is coated in a buttery liquid—about 5
minutes.
Add enough water to come about
half way up the vegetables (1/4 cup or so) and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook over very low heat until the
artichokes are tender (about 20 minutes).
Check the pan occasionally to make sure it hasn't simmered dry...add
water as necessary.
Bring a large pot of water to the
boil. Salt well...it should taste
salty. Add the asparagus and cook until
just tender—because of the way it has been cut, this should only take a minute
or two. Lift the asparagus out of the
pot and add it to the pan of artichokes and mushrooms. Scatter the prosciutto
and parsley over all and toss to combine.
Set aside in a warm place while you cook the pasta in the water the
asparagus was cooked in. When the pasta
is al dente, drain—saving some of the pasta water—and add to the pan of
vegetables along with a pat of butter.
Toss to combine, adding as much pasta water as is needed to lightly film
the pasta and vegetables with a light, buttery film of liquid. Serve topped with finely grated Parmesan. Serves 2 to 3.
Notes...variations...additions:
- Instead of spring onion, use one small shallot (finely diced), a small leek (halved, cut cross-wise into a fine julienne and well-rinsed). If you have access to green garlic, you could add a small head, coarsely chopped or thinly sliced.
- Add some picked fresh thyme and/or the zest of half of a lemon with the artichokes, mushrooms and spring onions.
- If you like, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of white wine to the artichokes and mushrooms when they are tender. Reduce to a glaze before adding the water.
- Use a quarter cup of chicken stock instead of water. When replenishing the liquid though, use water or the sauce will be to rich.
- If you would like to have a cream based sauce, when the artichokes are tender—and before adding the asparagus—add a quarter to a third of a cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
- Substitute peas or fava beans for the asparagus (or use a combination of any two of the three)
- Replace the parsley or arugula with another favorite herb—chives, basil, mint...
- Replace the final addition of butter with a large spoonful of mascarpone
- Omit the prosciutto and replace the Parmesan with Pecorino
- Recipe may be doubled to serve 4 to 6...simply choose a larger, wider pan to cook the vegetables.
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