Spring Pea & Pancetta Pasta

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, carefully add the eggs and cook 7 minutes for soft-boiled, or until your desired degree of doneness. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a slotted spoon or tongs, carefully transfer the eggs to a strainer. Rinse under cold water 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel the cooked eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh produce. Pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of each snap pea pod. Halve the peas crosswise. Snap off and discard the tough, woody stem ends of the asparagus; cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (keeping the pointed tips intact). Using a zester or the small side of a box grater, finely grate the lemon. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Peel and medium dice the shallot. Pick the mint leaves off the stems.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 11 to 13 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, in the pan of reserved fond, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the halved peas and asparagus pieces in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the diced shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the spinach and as much of the red pepper flakes as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan of cooked vegetables. Add the mascarpone, lemon zest, half the parmesan, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, and half the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated). Turn off the heat. Serve the finished pasta topped with the seasoned eggs, cooked pancetta, mint leaves (tearing just before adding), and remaining parmesan. Serve the remaining lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!