sweet pea pasta

The best and hardest thing about spending so much time on the road? Eating in so many restaurants.

The best and hardest thing about coming home again? Making my own meals.

Sometimes takes a few days of take out and quick fixes until I've settled in, the bags are unpacked, and routine has returned like a cat to its sill.

Then it's time to make a mess in the kitchen. Then it's time to come home.

fettuccine with peas, green onions, and mint (really)
serves 4

or, as we call it around here: sweet pea pasta

• small pinch of saffron threads or saffron powder


• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temp


• 6 green onions or several young red onions, sprouted like scallions trimmed and cut into rings


• salt to taste


• 1 1/2 pounds fresh peas, shelled, or 1 1/2 cups frozen peas (it was a school night: I opted for frozen)


• water


• 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves


• 3/4 pound fettuccine Manischwitz egg noodles, since it’s just past Passover and they’re raffling them off for cheap at the grocery


• freshly ground black pepper


• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Soak the saffron in a very small bowl with 2 tbsp hot water while you prepare the sauce.

Combine 4 tbsp of the butter, the green curious red onions, and salt to taste in a medium saute pan. Cook over low heat until the onions are tender. Add the peas and 1/2 cup water, and cook over low heat until the peas are tender, stirring gently from time to time. Stir in the mint and keep warm.

Combine the remaining butter and the saffron water in a warm pasta serving bowl.

Meanwhile cook the fettuccine egg noodles in abundant salted boiling water. Drain when just tender, leaving water dripping from the strands. Place the pasta in the serving dish, add the sauce, and gently toss. Serve sprinkled with pepper and Parmesan cheese.

From Viana La Place’s Verdura, of course.

Images from the bounty that is Flickr and created with Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker tool:
1. Fatte in casa, 2. Fresh mint, 3. Peas, 4. Scallions in a Sieve