One of the most exciting events at a Springtime Farmer's Market is the arrival of English peas. These shelling peas are at there best in April, May, and June when the weather is warming up but the morning and evenings are still cool. The extra prep time spent shelling peas really pays off in this pasta dish that features peas with wild mushrooms and pasta.
English Peas and Wild Mushrooms with Penne
Ingredients:
1 pound of penne pasta 
1 C. shelled English peas
8 oz. wild mushrooms, cleaned in cut into fourths
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, julienne cut
1/4 C. dry white wine
1/4 C. to 1/2 C. heavy cream
1/4 C. minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. olive oil
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
1. Blanch the peas. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add a pinch a salt. Boil peas for 30 seconds before straining and immediately cooling the peas in ice water. Set the cooled peas aside.
2. Saute the mushrooms. In a large skillet over high heat add 1 T. olive oil first before adding the mushrooms when the oil is smoking steadily. Stir the mushrooms in the pan frequently and add more oil if the mushrooms start to stick to the pan. After the 3 to 5 minutes when the mushrooms are golden brown, add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper for a final thirty seconds. Remove from heat and set mushrooms aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and cook penne according to the instructions on the box. While the penne is cooking add 1 T. to another large pot over medium heat and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the white wine and reduce by half before adding the heavy cream, and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and allow the cream to thicken slightly.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it and add the pasta to the pot with the onions, heavy cream, etc and toss to combine. Turn off heat, add parsley, reserved peas, Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
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