Pasta and Spring Vegetables

Overview

• Preparation time: 50 minutes
• Serves: 4
• Skill level: Medium

Thanks to Baking Mad for supplying these recipes. You can find lots more tasty baking ideas at www.bakingmad.co.uk.

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 300 grams - Plain white flour
• 1/2 tsp - Salt
• 3 Large egg yolks
• 2 tsp - Olive oil

Additional ingredients:

• 450 grams - Mixed spring vegetables: peas, broad beans, asparagus spears
• 1 Lemon
• 1 tbsp - Dijon or wholegrain mustard (Poupon)
• 2 tbsp - Parsley and tarragon, chopped
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Parmesan shavings

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt on a large, clean work surface. Make a well in the centre. Beat together the egg, egg yolk and oil and pour into the well. Using the fingertips of 1 hand, gradually draw the flour into the egg mixture in a circular motion to start creating a dough. Add a dash of water if it’s a little dry. Form into a firm ball and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Quarter the pasta dough, take 1 piece and set the rest aside, covering with a tea towel to prevent it from drying out. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough quarter until you have a very thin, long pasta sheet, about 45cm long and 12cm wide. Set aside, dusted with flour, while you roll out the remaining pasta to the same size. If using a pasta machine, shape the dough into a rectangle, flattening it so it fits through the pasta machine. Flour the rollers, then feed the dough through on the widest setting and onto the floured surface. Continue to feed through the machine, over and over again, reducing the width of the roller until you get a thickness of about 2mm. To make tagliatelle of papardelle, cut the pasta into ribbons about 2-4cm wide, scatter with semolina and form into nests on a tray then leave in the fridge for up to 24 hours before use
3. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 5 mins. Meanwhile Boil the vegetables for 5 mins then drain. Drain the pasta, reserving 4 tbsp of the pasta cooking water.
4. Grate the zest from half the lemon and squeeze the juice from all of it, add the lemon juice, zest, mustard and herbs to the pasta water, return the pasta to the pan with the water and vegetables then toss together and serve with parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil,