Pasta With Sugar Snap Peas, Asparagus, Ricotta And Brown Butter - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 ounces whole wheat pasta, such as rotini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
5 ounces snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 bunch asparagus, tips only (top inch or so)
1/2 lemon, juice of
coarse salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon thinly sliced mint
1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
6 tablespoons fresh ricotta
1/4 cup toasted coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.
Heat oil in medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and slightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
Add snap peas, asparagus and lemon juice, and cook, stir for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to saute pan, and add 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water to pan.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until water is almost absorbed and peas and asparagus are bright green but tender, about 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat butter in small pan over high heat, swirling as butter begins to change colour. As soon as butter browns, about 4 minutes, remove from heat.
Stir mint and lemon zest into pasta and divide pasta among four bowls.
Top each bowl with 1- 1/2 tablespoons ricotta, 1/4 of the hazelnuts, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon brown butter.