Pasta with Peas, Sausage, and Mint

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups freshly shelled English peas or frozen
Zest and juice of one lemon, Meyer if possible
1/2  cup chicken stock (I used water since that’s what I had!)
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1 pound thin linguine or other pasta
1 cup fresh bulk sausage (about half a pound)
1/2  cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, melt the butter with the olive oil in a chef’s pan or wok over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, shaking the pan occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the peas to onion-garlic mixture, stir, and add the lemon juice. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, until the peas are thoroughly warmed. Add the chicken stock (or water) and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, and blend mixture thoroughly. Add the mint. (I put it in a deep bowl and used my hand blender… you could do it in batches in a traditional blender too.). Return puree to pan and keep warm over very low heat.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. While the pasta cooks, sauté the sausage in a separate small pan until crisped at the edges and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the cooked pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Thoroughly mix in the sauce, taste for salt and top with the sausage and cheese.

Adapted from: The Breakaway Cook by Eric Gower