I love nothing more than a bright pasta dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight, but pretty enough to serve to friends for a spring get-together. This pasta is exactly that. All it takes is one pot of boiling water, a blender, and 20 minutes. To simplify things even further, the green sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until go-time. It tastes as fresh and vibrant as it looks, just like spring in a bowl.

Spring Green Pasta with Burrata

Serves 3–4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150g) green peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 large bunch spinach (~200g), washed thoroughly
• 1 large bunch basil (~50g)
• 1 small bunch fresh mint (15–20 leaves)
• 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
• 1–2 lemons (juice, to taste)
• 1.5 oz (45g) parmesan, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup (loosely packed) parmesan, finely grated, plus more for garnish
• ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 500g pasta (1 box), preferably with ridges
• 1–2 small burratini (~125g, or whatever size burrata you can find)*
• Chili flakes
• Salt and pepper

*If you can’t find small burrata, use whatever is available. A large one works well, or cut it in half if you prefer less.

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a separate large bowl.

2. Blanch the greens

Add peas and cook for 20-30 seconds, until tender and bright green. Transfer immediately to the ice bath.

Blanch spinach for about 5 seconds, until just wilted and vibrant, then transfer to the ice bath.

Once cooled, drain well. Squeeze the spinach thoroughly to remove excess water.

3. Make the green sauce

In a blender, combine:

• Blanched peas and spinach
• Basil
• Mint
• Garlic
• Lemon juice (start with 1 lemon, taste and adjust to your preference)
• Parmesan chopped (1.5oz)
• Olive oil
• 2 Ice cubes and 2 tbsp cold water
• Salt and pepper

Blend until completely smooth and vibrant, about 1–2 minutes. The longer you blend, the smoother and brighter the sauce will become. Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice as needed.

4. Cook the pasta

In the same pot, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.

5. Combine pasta and sauce

Return pasta to the pot with the heat off. Add the green sauce and about ½ cup of pasta water to start. Stir to coat, adding the grated parmesan (about a 1/4 cup) and more pasta water as needed until glossy and silky. The sauce should look slightly loose at this stage (see notes).

6. Serve

Plate the pasta and top with burrata, torn into pieces. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, chili flakes, and extra parmesan.

Notes

• Squeeze the greens very well after blanching to remove excess water—use a clean dish towel if needed.
• Start with the juice of 1 lemon and adjust to taste. For a more lemon-forward dish, use up to 2 (my preference).
• Ice cubes help preserve the bright green colour when blending.
• Use more pasta water than you think. The sauce should look loose in the pot; the pasta will continue to absorb it as it sits, giving you that perfect glossy finish.

Shopping List

⬜ 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

⬜ 1 large bunch spinach

⬜ 1 large bunch basil (~50g)

⬜ 1 small bunch fresh mint

⬜ 1–2 garlic cloves

⬜ 1–2 lemons

⬜ Parmesan cheese

⬜ Extra virgin olive oil

⬜ 500g pasta (1 box)

⬜ 1–2 small burratini (or whatever burrata you can find)

⬜ Chili flakes