Why It Works

Blanching and shocking the vegetables sets their color and delivers bright flavor and crisp texture.

Gently infusing butter with whole garlic adds savory depth without a harsh minced-garlic bite.

Crème fraîche and lemon keep the sauce creamy while letting spring vegetables stay bright.

I find it very hard to imagine that prior to 1975, nobody in the history of the universe had thought to combine fresh spring vegetables and pasta in a creamy sauce, but, if we are to believe Sirio Maccioni , chef of New York's famed Le Cirque, it's the truth. At least, nobody famous enough to take a good idea and turn it into an international sensation.…