Fiddlehead pasta

We've been eating well as the spring earth comes alive and gives us material to work with, not the least of which is fiddleheads.

Earthier and more complex but similar in nature to asperagus, these little shoots mesmerized me as a child. It's only this year that I've been introduced to them as an ingredient, though.

Here's the pasta we ate last night:

Fiddlehead Pasta

Ingredients:

1 cup fiddleheads
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 large tomatoes, diced
1 pint of mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsps virgin olive oil
1 tbsp buttter (or olive oil)
Tarragon, Basil, Oregano and Thyme to taste.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Parmesian Reggiano for topping.
Cappelli d'Angelo Pasta for two people.

Method:

Trim and set the fiddleheads to steam in your steamer. They need to steam properly for about ten minutes.

While that's going on, heat oil and butter in a pan. Add the onions and garlic, and mushrooms with a bit of salt to sweat them. After they've become transparent/browned, add the tomatoes and the spices. Let cook on medium-high for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Cook until the tomatoes have melted and it's of a "saucy" consistency.

While the sauce is reducing, throw on the pasta. Angel hair pasta takes only a few minutes of boiling, so time it well.

TIP: If you add a tablespoon of oil and a shake of salt to the water before throwing in the pasta, it won't stick together or leak liquid on your plate.

When the pasta is almost ready to be drained, remove the fiddleheads that have been steaming, dice them and add them to the sauce. Let cook another minute or two, then add the drained pasta, mix and serve with plenty of parm and a nice wine. And garlic bread, if possible.

Chin-chin!