Swede Dish Spring Pasta

Cuisine: American, Swedish

Courses: Dinner, Lunch

Difficulty: Beginner

Dietary: Cheese, Oranges, Peas, Radish

Description

A bright spring pasta with shrimp, sweet peas, crisp radishes, bacon, and herbs tossed in a delicate orange cardamom cream sauce enriched with herby goat cheese.

Ingredients

12 oz spaghetti or cavatappi pasta
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup peas
4 radishes thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup pasta water
¼ cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
¼ tsp ground cardamom
3 –4 oz herbed goat cheese
¼ cup fresh dill
salt + black pepper
Optional finish
• shaved parmesan
• drizzle olive oil

Instructions

1
Cook pasta in salted water. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
2
Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove and reserve.
3
In the bacon fat sauté shallot and garlic.
4
Add shrimp and cook 1–2 minutes per side.

Add

5
cream
6
orange juice
7
orange zest
8
cardamom

Simmer gently.

9
Add pasta, peas, radishes, bacon, and a splash of pasta water.
10
Lower heat and crumble in goat cheese, stirring until melted and silky.
11
Finish with fresh dill and black pepper.

Note

Flavor Balance

• Goat cheese → tangy creaminess
• Orange → fragrant brightness
• Cardamom → warm Nordic spice
• Radish → crisp pepper bite
• Peas → sweet freshness

This creates a complex but balanced spring pasta.

Swede Dish Pro Move

Add a spoon of pasta water + goat cheese at the very end and toss hard.

This creates the restaurant-style glossy sauce coating the pasta.