Best Spring Fiddlehead Pasta Recipes

Spring Pasta with Mushrooms, Chiles and Spring Peas image

Provided by Geoffrey Zakarian

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh shelled English peas
12 ounces fettuccine pasta
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 shallot, finely diced
1 big pinch pepperoncini chile flakes
4 ounces maitake mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 Fresno chile, finely diced
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (fine like dust)
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Steps:

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the peas in the boiling water until bright green, about 20 seconds. Transfer immediately to the ice bath. Once cool, drain completely.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt until it tastes of lightly salted broth. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot and pepperoncini and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the maitake and oyster mushrooms and cook until softened, another 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
When the pasta is cooked to al dente, add the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms directly from the pot, reserving the pasta water. Allow the pasta to finish cooking in the mushroom sauce, about 1 minute. Add the peas, butter and Fresno chile and stir to coat. Turn off the heat and add the Pecorino Romano in handfuls, stirring in between additions to prevent lumps. Add pasta water to thin the sauce as desired. Finish with the basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

Fiddlehead Pasta image

Provided by Chef mariajane

Categories Penne

Time 20m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/2 lb fiddlehead ferns
6 ounces penne pasta
1 teaspoon tsps salt, plus
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving
1/4 cup dried cranberries
hot pepper (optional) or cayenne pepper (optional)

Steps:

To clean and cook fiddleheads: Clean fiddleheads in cold water and rinse several times until the water looks clear. Cut off black ends.
Bring to a boil 1 1/4 cups water with 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add fiddleheads, making sure they are totally submerged (otherwise they will turn black).
Cook 8-10 fiddleheads until al dente. when cooked, remove from boiling water and run under cold water so they remain al dente. Set aside.
Cook pasta as dierected on package. Drain and run cold water over noodles to keep them al dente. Keep warm.
Combine olive oil and garlic and mix well.
Toss fiddleheads with pasta, oil-garlic mixture, 1/4 teaspoons salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. If desired for a slighty sweet taste or add hot peppers for a spicy flavor.