Pasta Primavera With Asparagus and Peas

By Melissa Clark

Updated April 9, 2025

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(9,729)
Comments
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This simple pasta primavera uses a combination of the earliest vegetables available in spring — asparagus, peas and spring onions — making it a true celebration of the season. The sauce works best with springy egg pasta, preferably homemade or a good purchased brand. Make sure not to overcook it; you need the chewy bite to stand up to the gently cooked vegetables. If you can’t find good fresh English peas, you can substitute frozen peas, but don’t add them until the last minute of cooking.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed

  • ½ pound asparagus, ends snapped

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • ¾ cup fresh English peas

  • ¼ cup thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallot)

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed

  • Black pepper, more as needed

  • 12 ounces fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh (see recipe)

  • ⅔ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature

  • ½ cup crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

77 grams carbs; 49 milligrams cholesterol; 579 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 605 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.

  2. Step 2

    While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.

  3. Step 3

    Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Drain well and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano, crème fraîche and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper, if needed.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
9,729 user ratings
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Comments

chef Pace, milano

Primavera the best season and the recipe a great combination of ingredients (asparagus "the rite of spring). May I add, in Italia we use the garlic whole and crushed to flavor the cooking fat (oil or butter) then it is discarded. To finish the dish instead of creme fraiche drizzle the best quality extra virgin olive oil over the finished product, the flavor would be more natural and lighter.

Davide

This recipe is exceptional. I use frozen baby peas and to keep them tasty and crisp I add the frozen peas after draining the pasta then toss. The heat of the cooked pasta cooks them yet leaves them crisp.
Enjoy!

MegRunsTrails

For everyone who says there isn't enough sauce - I added about 1/2 cup chicken broth at the end of cooking the veggies, and also mixed about 1/4 cup water from the pasta in when I tossed everything together. This resulted in a less dairy-focused but still flavorful mix that allowed the lovely taste of the spring vegetables to shine through.

CoachieNY

So delicious! Used homemade Greek yogurt and super thinly sliced yellow onion. I think adding a bit of chicken broth at the end is a great suggestion. Will do next time.

Lisa

Holy cow is this delicious!!! Simple to make and exceptionally good. I used heavy cream instead of the crème fraiche since that's what I had. Great.

Todd Hanlon

Made as directed with shallots, fresh English peas from the British market, in-season sugar snap peas, and asparagus. I increased everything slightly to suit about 18 oz of pasta and adjusted the cream and seasoning accordingly. The result was very satisfying — rich and comforting, but quite heavy due to the vegetables and cream combination. A proper spring-feeling dish that leans indulgent rather than light.

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