Tagliatelle with Peas

One of my favorite restaurants in Verona is Il Pompiere. They make a pasta dish when peas are in season that is thoroughly infused with their sweet flavor. Marco, the chef/owner, was kind enough to share his secret with me. It’s actually very simple. Once the peas are tender, half are pureed until creamy and mixed back into the sauce. When the pasta is tossed with the sauce it absorbs all that delicious pea flavor, which is why I like using the wider tagliatelle noodles. Although you could make this with premium frozen peas, the sweet flavor of fresh peas is worth the extra time it takes to shell them.

1/2 medium yellow onion
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 pounds fresh peas in the pod (or 12 ounces frozen peas)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces dried egg tagliatelle (or pappardelle)

Tip

Although homemade egg pasta is ideal here, if you are going to buy the tagliatelle, stay away from the "fresh" pastas in the refrigerated case.  Choose a premium imported brand of dried egg noodles instead.  The ones packaged in nests are usually the best.

Directions:

1. Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion. Put the olive oil in a saucepan or deep 8-inch skillet, add the chopped onion, and place over medium heat. Sauté until the onion turns to a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.
3. While the onion is sautéing, shell the fresh peas, if using.
4. When the onion is ready, add the peas and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir the peas well, then add about 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat until the peas are tender, adding water if it evaporates completely before they are done. It should take 15 to 20 minutes for the peas to become tender. (If using frozen peas, add water only once and cook for 6 to 8 minutes).
5. When the peas are tender, remove from the heat, take out about half the peas and puree them. A food mill will make the smoothest puree, but if you don’t have one you can use a food processor. Put the pureed peas back in the pan with the whole peas.
6. Add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the tagliatelle, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente.
7. After the pasta has cooked for about 2 minutes, add 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the peas and stir well.
8. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce, and serve at once.

From Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009