Erica De Mane

An Arrangement of Peas, by Mark Brooks.

Recipe below: Conchigliette with Shell Peas, Fennel, Prosciutto, and Basil

“Improvisation is the expression of the accumulated yearnings, dreams, and wisdom of the soul.” —Yehudi Menuhin

Can this quote, attributed to a great violinist, be applied to pasta cooking? I think so. There’s nothing more soulful and dreamed up than a bowl of good pasta. It’s the best thing an Italian cook can offer you. I make spur-of-the moment pasta a lot, but it doesn’t often find its way onto my blog. Not original enough? Not special enough? Too everyday? Yes, I guess all of those things. But don’t you love when a whim just hits, when flavors blend effortlessly, and the thing cooks along like in a nice dream? No snags, no thinking, all floating. The aroma is right from step one. In warm weather, when I’ve got such good produce to work with, these unrehearsed pastas can be memorable. I’d make this again.

Conchigliette with Shell Peas, Fennel, Prosciutto, and Basil

(Makes 2 large servings)

Salt
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele, the fat removed, chopped, and saved, and the rest cut into thin strips
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, chopping and saving a few of the big feathery fronds
1 small summer onion, sliced, using some of the green stem
1 cup freshly shelled peas
2 allspice, ground to a powder
6 or so fennel seeds, ground
A splash of rosé wine
½ cup of chicken broth, possibly a little more
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Black pepper
A few drops of rice wine vinegar
About a dozen basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
A small chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Set up a pot of pasta cooking water. Add salt.

While that’s coming to a boil, get out a large sauté pan, and set it over medium heat. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and the chopped prosciutto fat. When the fat starts to melt a bit, add the fennel and the onion, and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.

Now add the peas, the allspice, and the fennel, and season with salt. Sauté for about a minute (this will bring out their flavor). Add the splash of rosé (or any crisp white wine), and let it boil away. Add the chicken broth, and simmer until the peas are just tender, about another 4 minutes or so.

Drop the conchigliette into the water, and cook until al dente.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauté pan over a low heat. Add the butter, and season with black pepper and a few drops of the vinegar while tossing gently just until everything is mixed. Add a little more chicken broth, if it seems dry.

Pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Add the prosciutto and basil, and toss again. Serve with a generous grating of Parmigiano.