Intrigued by the shape and curious about the taste, we whip up a springtime pasta dish featuring the compact spiral. The flavor is similar to asparagus or green beans with a consistency incomparable to any other vegetable.
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Creamy Sauteed Fiddleheads over Bucatini
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Foraged fiddleheads take center stage in this creamy bucatini dish. The perfect spring pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473 ml) fiddleheads
- 1 lbs (454 g) bucatini
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) EVOO
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 4 oz (113 g) goat cheese
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 ladle pasta water
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add fiddleheads and cook until al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove fiddleheads with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water to stop cooking.
- Empty and refill the large pot with salted water; bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add bucatini and cook according to package directions.
- While bucatini cooks, heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic, red pepper flakes, cooked fiddleheads, salt, and pepper; sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in half of the goat cheese, a ladle of pasta water, and lemon zest; cook until goat cheese melts.
- Drain the cooked bucatini and add it to the skillet.
- Toss with the remaining goat cheese, butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Notes
- If fiddleheads are unavailable, substitute asparagus or blanched green beans for a similar texture.
- For a richer sauce, use heavy cream instead of pasta water, reducing the amount of goat cheese slightly.
- To prevent the pasta from sticking, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta water after it boils.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 40
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you prepare fiddleheads before cooking them?
Rinse fiddleheads thoroughly under cold water to remove any papery brown skin and debris. Blanch them in boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and pat dry before sauteing. 
What makes the sauce creamy in this bucatini dish?
A combination of heavy cream and pasta cooking water creates the sauce. The starchy pasta water helps emulsify the cream so it coats the bucatini evenly rather than pooling at the bottom.
Can another pasta shape be substituted for bucatini?
Spaghetti or linguine work as substitutes if bucatini is unavailable. The hollow center of bucatini does capture sauce well, but the dish holds together with any long pasta shape.
