Garganelli Pasta

With Spring Peas, Pearl Onions and Pancetta

Serves 4

PASTA

• 1/3 cup semolina “00” flour

• 11/3 cup egg yolks

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Pinch of salt

Mix together the flour and semolina in a bowl, then place the mixture in a mound on a lightly floured wooden board. Make an indentation in the middle of the mound and add salt and egg yolks. Gently mix flour into the liquid, slowly incorporating it until the dough becomes a smooth, elastic ball. (A touch of water may be required, depending on the flour.) Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes or overnight. This dough freezes very well if you like to plan ahead.

Roll out the dough to a thin layer by hand or using a pasta roller, then cut it into 2-by-2 inch squares. With a piece of square-cut dough positioned like a diamond on the work surface, use a wooden dowel (Simons uses a gnocchi paddle) to roll the pasta into tube-like shapes.

PEA VELOUTÉ

• 1 pound fresh peas

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 sprig of mint

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and blanch the garganelli. As the pasta is cooking, start rendering the diced pancetta over medium-high heat in a sauté pan (without olive oil, as there is plenty of fat in the pancetta). Sauté until it’s golden brown and crispy. In the pot, sauté the onions and peas reserved from the sauce to bring the flavors together. Add some lemon zest for brightness.

FINISHING TOUCHES

• ¼ cup pancetta, diced at a ¼ inch

• 3 to 4 pearl onions, blanched and halved

• Zest of one lemon

• Shaved Parmesan or pecorino Mix

In a serving bowl, spoon about 2 oz of the sauce into the center, then use the back of the spoon to widen the sauce area. Place the garganelli on top of the velouté and add shaved Parmesan or pecorino on top, and serve.

Andrea Chef de Cuisine Chris Simons discovered his love for food as a child, spending countless hours cooking in the kitchen with his Italian mother. At Andrea, he enjoys incorporating fresh, seasonal ingredients into the restaurant’s award-winning menu of Northern Italian cuisine.