Dennis Prescott

Everyone has a comfort food go-to. Pizza, wings, curry, etc and forever. For this Canadian, comfort food is, and most likely forever will be, pasta. Or noodles.  I could and would eat noodles in some delicious form every day, if I wasn’t scared I’d end up in a carb-induced coma.

This pasta is something I cook every year when spring rolls around. It just tastes like spring to me. Maybe because I first learned how to make fresh pasta one Easter Weekend a few years ago. Maybe because I live in Canada, and spring is basically winter compared to the rest of the known world. I’m not 100% sure – but there’s something comforting and especially delicious about this to me. Oh wait…it’s the brown butter. That’s it.

If you’ve never made pasta from scratch before, go for it. It’s crazy easy (especially if you use a food processor like in this recipe – thanks for the tip, Jamie Oliver), and so crazy delicious.

Also – there are few things more satisfying that make something dough based from scratch. Bread, pasta….whatever. It just feels and tastes how the world should be. From scratch. Delicious.

Give this one a go.

Fresh Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Peas & Asparagus

Serves 4

For the Pasta;

2 1/2 cups flour

4 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Brown Butter Sage business;

6 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 tablespoons sage leaves

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups asparagus, sliced (with tip reserved)

4 eggs

In a food processor, combine your flour, eggs, and olive oil, and pulse until a dough ball forms (about 1 minute). Rest covered on a floured surface for 30 minutes.

Break your dough ball into 4 pieces, and roll out into flatbread (think naan bread) like pieces. Run each piece of dough through your pasta maker (or, if using a rolling pin) to 1/8 an inch thick sheets.

Cut your dough into 1/2 inch wide ribbons, and toss in a bit of flour to stop them sticking.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a pan, melt your butter. When the butter is just done melting, toss in your sage leaves. Let these fry away and get nice and crispy. (about 5 minutes)

Toss your pasta and asparagus, reserving the tips, in your water, and cook for 2 – 1/2 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, add your frozen peas, lemon zest, and cream to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

With some tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the pan, without draining (you want some of that excess water to create a nice, glossy, rich sauce. Drain, and toss in your asparagus.

Add your lemon zest, asparagus tips, and parmesan, and toss to combine.

Poach 4 eggs. Top your pasta with your eggs, and drizzle of olive oil, and a bit of parmesan.

Spring, in a dish.