Cacio e Pepe with Asparagus & Pea Shoots

This bowl of creamy pasta coated with salty pecorino and spicy black pepper keeps us firmly in winter, but we added asparagus, green garlic, and pea shoots to give us our first taste of spring.

What You Get

Asparagus
Green garlic
Fresh pasta
Cheese and pepper mix
Pea shoots

What You’ll Need

Olive oil
Salt

Makes 3 servings

Active Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Step 1

Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil.

Step 2

Meanwhile, rinse the asparagus, and slice into ¾’’ pieces. Rinse the green garlic and slice into rounds (you can use the whole stalk!). Set both aside.

Step 3

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the green garlic. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes, and lower the heat.  

Step 4

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and give it a stir. Add the asparagus to the pan with the garlic at the same time, and cook both the pasta and asparagus for 3 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and asparagus is tender to the bite.

Step 5

Reserve ⅓ cup pasta water, and strain the pasta. Add the noodles to the pan with the asparagus, along with the reserved water and cheese and pepper mix. Reduce the heat to low, and toss the pasta until a sauce begins to form. Just before pulling off the stove, add the pea shoots and taste for seasoning. Finish with more black pepper!

Contains: milk, egg, wheat.