PREP: Mise the recipe ahead of time.

1. Fabricate the lamb: (photos of this process appear in the lesson section of this post)

• Trim off any surface fat from around the edges of the lamb steak.
• Remove the meat from the bones.
• Separate the muscle bundles, and then trim off the silverskin (thin layer of connective tissue surrounding them), leaving clean, membrane-free meat.
• Cut the meat into ½-inch cubes. You should have about 3 oz clean meat per person.

2. Prep the peas:

• Open the pods and remove the peas—or—if using frozen peas, place them on a folded paper towel and thaw them at room temperature.

3. Fabricate the asparagus: (photos of this process appear in the lesson section of this post)

• Snap each asparagus spear by holding the tip end with one hand and the butt end in the other, and then bending the spear until it breaks. Discard the tough butt ends.
• Use a swivel peeler to gently scrape off the outer layer of skin from the lower half of each asparagus spear.
• Cut the asparagus spears on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths.

4. Par-fabricate the snap peas: (photos of this process appear in the lesson section of this post)

• Use a paring knife to cut diagonally into the stem end of each snap pea, and then use the knife and your thumb to pull downward, removing the string that runs along one side. Turn each snap pea over and remove the string from the other side. (Not all snap peas have strings, but check each one just in case.)

5. Blanch and refresh the vegetables:

• Bring at least 3 qt water to a full boil. Place a bowl of cold water next to the stove.
• Drop the snap peas into the water and boil for 30 seconds or longer until a paring knife inserted into a snap pea meets with sight resistance. Use a “spider” strainer to remove the asparagus into the bowl of water, and then place the bowl in the sink under a stream of cold water for a minute or so. Remove from the water and drain on paper towels.
• Blanch and refresh the asparagus in the same way and drain on separate paper towels.
• If using fresh peas, blanch, refresh, and drain them in the same way, but test doneness by tasting one or two peas.
• Cut the larger par-cooked snap peas in half on the diagonal to make 1-inch lengths.
• If prepping ahead, combine the snap peas and asparagus in a plastic bag with a folded paper towel in the bottom. Place the thawed or cooked peas in a similar bag.

6. Mise the sauce ingredients:

• Use a swivel peeler to shave off two strips of yellow zest from the lemon. Mince the lemon zest and place it in a small container. Squeeze about 1 tsp lemon juice into the container with the zest.
• Mince the onion and garlic, and combine them in a container.
• Place the wine and stock in separate containers.
• Grate the cheese into fine shreds and place it in a plastic bag.
• Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes and place in a plastic bag.

7. Assemble the remaining ingredients.

HOLD: Refrigerate all ingredients up to 2 days.

COOK! Finish and plate your dinner.

8. Set up your stove mise-en-place:

• Fill a pasta pot or large saucepan with cold water and bring it to the boil.
• Have tongs, a “spider” strainer, a large serving spoon, a ladle, a plastic spatula, and a sizzle pan or small tray.
• Place your ingredients mise tray near the stove.

9. Braise the lamb:

• Blot the lamb cubes dry on paper towels.
• Place a sauté pan over medium heat and wait for it to get hot. Squeeze in the oil, swirl to coat the pan, and then add the lamb with a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 30 seconds just until lightly browned. Transfer the lamb to the sizzle pan.
• Lower the heat to cool the pan slightly, and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté for at least 20 seconds until softened, and then add the stock, wine, and thyme sprig. Bring to the simmer, and reduce for about 5 minutes.
• Return the lamb and its juices to the pan, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. When done, the lamb should be chewy-tender and the sauce reduced to a lightly-thickened consistency.
• Evaluate the seasoning of the pan sauce and, if necessary, add some salt.

10. Boil the pasta:

• Add the step 10 salt to the boiling water and then stir in the orecchiette. Cook at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or to an al dente texture.

11. Assemble the dish:

• Place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Use a “spider” strainer to transfer the orecchiette from the pasta water into the sauté pan, along with the pasta water clinging to it.
• Add the lamb and its sauce to the orecchiette, scraping the pan with a plastic spatula to release all of the sauce.
• Remove the thyme stem from the sauté pan, scraping most of the leaves in the sauce.
• Stir the spring vegetables into the pan, cover it, and turn on the heat to achieve a gentle simmer.
• Toss to thoroughly combine the pasta with the lamb and vegetables.
• Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the butter until it’s almost melted, then stir in the cheese to create a thick, creamy, emulsified sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, ladle in a little of the hot pasta water and stir to combine.
• Evaluate the seasoning and, if necessary, add a little more lemon juice and/or salt.

12. Plate:

• Spoon an equal portion of orecchiette, lamb, and vegetables into each warmed shallow bowl or pasta plate.