Springtime Fiddlehead, Ham And Pasta Toss - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb fiddlehead
3 cups medium sized pasta, such as bowtie or 3 cups penne
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth or 1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch dry mustard
fresh ground pepper
1 cup cooked ham, cut in thin strips
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Thoroughly clean fiddleheads and cook in a large pot of boiling water for 15 minutes, until tender. (Keeping the cover off curing cooking will help to maintain the vivid green color). Immediately rinse in cold water to stop cooking process; drain well and set aside. Start cooking pasta according to package directions.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms; saute for two minutes. Stir in garlic, fiddleheads, chicken broth or wine, basil, mustard, if using, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, checking to see that the fiddleheads are tender. Add ham and parmesan cheese; stir to heat through. Drain pasta well and toss with the sauce. Serve immediately.