Pasta, fresh peas, and lashings of grated cheese…that’s the kind of supper you want on an evening when the rain blows in and brings with it a 20-degree temperature drop at the end of a summery, 70-something day. There’s Brittany for you. One minute it’s June. The next, it feels like October.

I filled out the peas with a little zucchini (peas are pricey!), plopped on a dollop of crème fraiche (to further take the chill off…), and sprinkled on the six little borage flowers harvested from my herb garden. (Woo-hoo! Got them before the snails did.)

What you can’t see in the photo is the saucy liquid at the bottom of the bowl. I like my pasta kind of soupy and a ladle or two of the cooking water achieves the desired effect without having to douse the dish in oil, butter, or (more) cream.

This is the kind of supper you don’t really need a recipe for, but after all the years I’ve spent writing and editing recipes, I can’t help but share the specifics.

Farfalle with Fresh Peas and Zucchini

4 oz. farfalle pasta
¼ cup fresh shelled peas
1 small zucchini, finely diced
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. crème fraiche, optional
grated Gruyère or other hard cheese (I refrain from saying how much I use…2 to 3 Tbs. is probably about right for most people)
edible flowers for garnish (TOTALLY optional)

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package directions. 4 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the peas, and zucchini.

Drain the pasta and vegetables, and reserve at least 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Add the oil and garlic to the saucepan, then stir in the drained pasta and ¼ cup to ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, and transfer to a large bowl. Serve dolloped with crème fraiche and sprinkled with grated cheese. Garnish with flowers, if desired. Serves 1 or 2 people