Pasta with Buttermilk, Mint and Peas
 
 
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup blanched hazelnuts
  • 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 small leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 6 sprigs fresh mint, divided
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ½ cup buttermilk (see notes)
  • 8 ounces conchiglie or other short pasta
  • 1 cup snap peas, cut in half diagonally
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • ⅓ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
  • 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven, let cool and then roughly chop.
  3. In a large pot, heat remaining 4 teaspoons olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, chili flakes and 3 mint sprigs and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add buttermilk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and discard mint.
  4. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente according to package directions. Add snap peas and frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  5. Add cooked pasta and peas to pot with leeks and stir to combine. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and stir vigorously until combined. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
  6. Add lemon juice and remaining mint, torn into small pieces, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
I rarely buy buttermilk because it's so easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand. Just pour 1½ teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to hit the ½-cup line. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until curdled.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/pasta-with-buttermilk-mint-peas/