This dish makes use of a few early season farmers’ market ingredients- fresh pasta, honey, spring carrots, and garlic scapes. You’ve probably seen garlic scapes at the market before, maybe without knowing what they are- they’re eyecatching! These green spirals are the shoots of hardneck varieties of garlic, and are very tasty in their own right. This sauce is tangy and sweet at the same time, and the garlic taste is strong and a little spicy. Just don’t eat it before a job interview!

Ingredients:
4-6 garlic scapes, depending on taste
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons local honey, preferably dark
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (ground ginger may be used as a substitute if fresh is not available)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (see instructions below)
3 small early carrots
1 pound Fasta & Ravioli Co. carrot and nutmeg fettuccine (if unavailable, use plain fettuccine with a pinch of nutmeg added to the sauce)

Directions:
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes. When it’s done, drain the pasta into a colander placed in the sink, and run cold water over it until the pasta is cool. This stops it from overcooking and becoming sticky.

Toast the sesame seeds- this step may be done ahead of time. In a dry non-stick pan, stir the seeds over medium heat until they turn toasty brown. Set aside.

Using a food processor, blend the garlic scapes, ginger and sesame oil into a thick paste. Add the vinegar, the soy sauce, and the honey, blend for a few seconds, and then empty into a bowl. Add the sesame seeds and whisk, then place the pasta in a bowl and pour the sauce over it, stirring to coat the noodles.

Clean the carrots, and then use your vegetable peeler to shave them into slivers over the pasta. Toss to combine the carrots and the pasta with the sauce. Serve immediately, or chill for later.