Spaghetti with Shelling Peas in Infused Olive Oil

I've started to go to farmers markets a lot lately. Between one on Tuesday and one on Saturday, I end up having fresh produce to cook with all week long! I love the process of wandering through the stands, searching for the freshest vegetables available, and discovering new ingredients to experiment with.

One of the staples of the farmers market over the past few months has been summer squash. By trying out the numerous varieties, I discovered that I love the subtle flavor and tender texture of the green patty pan squash the most. I also found some things I didn't expect at the farmers market, like Thai chilies and Thai basil, which saves me a trip to the Asian market when I want to make curry.

Recently I decided to try a new ingredient from a stand that sells peppers in all sorts of shapes and colors. I had walked by it without stopping numerous times, unsure of where to start with so many varieties. This time I decided to ask the woman working at the stand for a recommendation, and she pointed me to the red sweet Italian frying peppers.

These peppers actually look like they might be spicy, but obviously, given the name, they are not. They have very few seeds, thinner flesh than bell peppers, and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. I decided they might be a nice addition to a light pasta with oil.

The rest of this recipe came together with some other ingredients I picked up at the farmers market, including shelling peas and sundried tomatoes. The sundried tomatoes I used are actually made from cherry tomatoes, which gives them a really sweet pop of flavor. In this dish, they help to reinforce the sweet flavor of the peppers.

A long, slow saute of the garlic, sweet peppers, and sundried tomatoes infuses the olive oil with flavor and stains it a shade of red. A good quality, nutty cheese is really a necessity to finish this dish off and balance out the sweetness.

I love that this pasta is so light and simple. I usually tend to make pastas with tomato sauce, so this was a nice change from that. And as a bonus, it's really quick to make!

Spaghetti with Shelling Peas in an Infused Olive Oil

(serves 2-3)

2 lb. fresh shelling peas, in shell
1/4 cup olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped sweet Italian frying peppers, about 6
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped sun dried cherry tomatoes
1/2 lb. spaghetti
1 - 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese, some kind of good quality hard cheese - I picked up Carnia Mezzano after tasting a few cheeses from a local Italian specialty store, but something like Parmesan would work just fine
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Shell the peas, rinse them, and set them aside. Remember that while fresh shelling peas last for up to a week, they have the sweetest flavor when used within the first couple of days of purchase. I picked mine up from the Ferry Building Farmer's Market.

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.

Put the olive oil in a large saute pan (I use a 4 quart pan). Add the garlic and the sweet peppers and heat slowly over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, add the sun dried tomatoes. When the peppers are cooked through, keep the oil warm on low heat while the spaghetti cooks. The long, slow saute will infuse the oil with flavor.

When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the spaghetti. When the spaghetti has two minutes left to cook, add the peas to cook with the spaghetti.

Drain the spaghetti and peas well. Add to the oil and toss well, ensuring that each strand of spaghetti is coated in oil. If it looks dry at all, you can add a little extra oil at this point.

Add the cheese and mix well. Salt and pepper generously, to taste, garnish with parsley and enjoy!