Ingredients
1/2 (8.8-oz) bag pappardelle
1 (8 to 9-oz) bunch red radishes, with tops
1 medium leek
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
2 oz. maitake mushrooms, torn into bite-sized pieces
4 oz. (about 1 heaping cup) sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into thirds on the bias
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 c. white wine
3/4 c. heavy cream or half & half
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon zest, for serving
Preparation
Step 1Boil pappardelle in salted water according to directions on bag, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Step 2Meanwhile, prep vegetables: separate radish tops from radishes and rinse and dry both. Quarter radishes, and roughly chop their greens. Transfer each to separate bowls. Halve leek lengthwise and rinse thoroughly. Remove root and slice into ¼” pieces, keeping dark green parts separate from light green and white parts.Step 3Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add radishes and shake pan so that all radishes are cut-side down. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, or until undersides are golden. Stir, and cook 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Transfer radishes to a medium bowl, add more oil if necessary, and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with radishes.Step 4Return skillet to medium heat and add remaining oil. Add dark green leeks and cook for 2 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Add light green leeks and snap peas, season with salt, and cook 2 minutes more. Add garlic and radish greens and cook 1 minute more, until garlic is fragrant and greens are wilted.Step 5Add radishes and mushrooms back to skillet, stir to combine, then add wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wine has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream, bring up to a simmer, and cook until thickened slightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat, add pasta, toss, then add parmesan and toss gently until everything is well combined and cheese is melted. If sauce is too thick, add pasta water little by little, stirring after each addition, until sauce is smooth and velvety.Step 6Once plated, zest pasta with lemon and season with black pepper. Serve with additional parmesan on the side.
Egg Noodles Rather than the commonly used spaghetti or penne, we opted for egg-based pappardelle. Its rich flavor and fresh-pasta-like texture is the perfect canvas for sweet sautéed veggies. If you want to switch it up, tagliatelle or fettuccine would work well too. Root-To-Greens Cooking This dish utilizes two often discarded ingredients: radish greens, which taste slightly peppery and cook down in a flash, and the “tough” dark green tops of leeks, which take a little longer to cook than the pale and white parts, but taste just as delicious. Super Sweet Radishes Red radishes, or Cherry radishes, tend to be a bit spicy. But when sautéed or roasted, they become incredibly sweet and tender. Less important, but still worth noting, they also turn the most perfect shade of pink. 😍 Spring vibes only! Meaty Mushrooms If you’ve never tried maitake (AKA hen-of-the-woods) mushrooms, you’re in for a treat. They provide super savory pops of flavor and a pleasant, slightly chewy texture. If you’d like to try a different fungi, oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, or creminis would all be great subs. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
