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When spring vegetables _ asparagus, English peas, green garlic and fava beans _ crowd the market I like to make the most of them. My favorite way to use these tender gems is to cook them quickly and toss them with pasta, a mild cheese like ricotta or chevre, a handful of herbs and a grating of lemon zest. A welcome change from red sauce, my favorite spring pasta comes together quickly and will leave you wanting more. Watch me make it at www.insidebayarea.com/food _ scroll to Video Food Tips.

Springtime Pasta
Recipe by Jenny Slafkosky

This is a very free-form dish. Use whichever fresh herbs you have on hand and experiment with ratios to suit your taste.

1 pound campanelle (bellflower-shaped pasta) or other short pasta, such as penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk green garlic, cleaned and thinly sliced (see note)
1 cup freshly shelled peas, or defrosted frozen peas
½ pound asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced into ½ -inch pieces
½ cup fava beans, blanched and peeled (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon zest
¾ to 1 cup ricotta cheese or 6 ounces chevre
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped (or substitute a combination of other fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, chervil or chives)
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. In the mean time, heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add green garlic, asparagus, peas and fava beans to the pan and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Saute vegetables, stirring often, until bright green in color and just slightly tender 3 to 5 minutes. If the pan seems dry, scoop up to ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water into the pan and cook until the water evaporates. (Alternatively, you can skip the sautéing and just dump all the vegetables into the boiling water with the pasta about 2 to 3 minutes before you’re ready to drain the pasta.)

Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta’s cooking water. Transfer the pasta and vegetables to a large bowl and add the lemon zest, ricotta and fresh herbs. Toss to coat the pasta with the cheese and herb mixture, adding the hot cooking water in increments if the pasta seems dry. Add additional salt and pepper if desired. Scoop into bowls and serve with a grating of Parmesan cheese.

Note: Green garlic is the immature stalk and bulb of the garlic plant. It has a milder flavor than mature garlic and almost the entire stalk can be eaten. Simply slice as you would a scallion or a leek and add wherever you might add mature garlic. Green garlic works particularly well in this spring-themed pasta dish because the mild garlic flavor doesn’t overpower the tender asparagus, peas and favas.