A light and vibrant pasta that reminds you spring has officially sprung! Each bite is so lemony, garlicky, buttery, and full of freshness.
If you haven’t tried sorrel yet, well, you really should!
Its tart and slightly acidic taste makes it the epitome of spring herbs. Sorrel pairs really well with lemon and other delicate fresh herbs like basil and mint. You can toss it into a salad to add a wonderful citrusy bite, or incorporate it into a pasta dish like this one to lighten things up.
Now the key here is to not cook the sorrel or any of the other herbs in this dish too much. You want to add these into the dish once everything else is cooked and your heat is turned off. Otherwise, the herbs are going to brown and lose a lot of their flavors.
Sorrel is honestly one of my favorite farmers’ market finds right now, so let’s celebrate spring together with this pasta that packs a chockfull of fresh flavors!
Lemon Pasta with Peas and Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, any shape (I used calamarata)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large lemons, zest and juice
- 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup sorrel, chopped
- ¼ cup basil, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 pinch fleur de sel (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Step 1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just under al dente (about 12 minutes for the calamarata).
- Step 2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic to sauté until golden brown (about 1 minute).
- Step 3. Add ½ cup pasta water to the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low and let reduce.
- Step 4. Scoop pasta into the sauce and add the Parmigiano Reggiano directly onto the pasta. Toss to combine.
- Step 5. Add the lemon zest and juice, green peas and the fresh herbs. Toss well to combine, adding pasta water as needed to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
- Step 6. Turn off the heat. Top the pasta with freshly cracked black pepper, fleur de sel, and additional Parmigiano Reggiano and herbs. Serve immediately.
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