Pasta Primavera


Few dishes scream “spring” like pasta primavera. Primavera in the name alone brings to mind fresh veggies like zucchini, English peas, leeks, and peppers—all of the things beginning to bloom for a vibrant season of produce ahead. Each vegetable in this recipe speaks for itself in texture and aroma. It’s a meal that satisfies both vegetarians and carb lovers alike. Keep reading on for a few things you should consider when making it.

How To Make Pasta Primavera

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher Salt: You may have noticed that all of our recipes call for kosher salt. If you’re using iodized or sea salt, keep in mind that you might need to use less.
• Spaghetti: Spaghetti—thanks to the influence of the legendary NYC restaurant Le Cirque—is the perfect shape for wrapping itself wildly around all of the veggies. That being said, you can use any long noodle you prefer here.
• The Veggies: Think of all of the things you’d like to see at the spring farmers’ market—those are the veggies I’m using here. Squash, red onion, asparagus (pencil is ideal), spring peas, leeks, and fresh cherry tomatoes all combine for the freshest bite. If you can find fresh peas that is ideal, but frozen works totally fine as well. This is all about seasonal ingredients—go to your farmers’ market, and pick out what looks good.
• The Garlic: I use 5 cloves of garlic here. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, it works wonders in this pasta.
• The Cream: I always visualized pasta primavera to be a cream-forward, Alfredo-style dish. A little cream in this pasta is diluted by starchy pasta water; it’s not supposed to be a heavy dish at all. This is the opportunity to bring forward crunchy, in-season vegetables without being overpowered by a rich cream sauce.
• Parmesan: A generous sprinkling of Parmesan adds that punch of umami and richness for the perfect finishing touch to this pasta.
• Lemon: You can use other citrus here (a lime would also be great) for a touch of acidity, but a lemon just feels right for spring.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

After chopping all your veggies, get started on your pasta. Whenever a recipe calls for finishing pasta in sauce, always account for that being additional pasta cooking time. You want to make sure that you’re boiling the pasta up until at least a minute before it’s al dente so that when it’s tossed in the hot pan of bubbling sauce, it continues to cook just until it’s al dente. If not, then it will likely overcook. Make sure it’s a bit tough to bite. Before straining your pasta, take out some pasta water. We’ll use this later to add some sheen and body to our sauce.

Now, it’s time to get started on the veggies. You may be tempted to cook them all at once, but all of our components cook at different times and temperatures, so go in stages and season with salt all the way through to ensure that every aspect is perfect. Add a generous glug of olive oil, then cook your zucchini before adding your asparagus. Once the asparagus is vibrant and softened, remove from the pan with your zucchini with a slotted spoon so that some of the oil stays in the pan. Asparagus can become waterlogged, so that’s why we want to remove it before cooking our other veggies.

Now, it’s time to cook the onions, leeks, bell pepper, and garlic in stages. You’re also going to want to (you guessed it!) season with salt here as well. The great thing about adding the onions at this stage is that they give off enough moisture to loosen everything from the bottom of the pan so that it will get incorporated into your sauce.

Reduce the heat, then add in your tomatoes, heavy cream, peas, and pasta water. If your sauce is not loose enough, you can add more pasta water a bit at a time to loosen things up. Once everything is tossed together, add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Taste your sauce, and if it needs some added salt or acidity (use lemon zest or lemon juice), now is the time to add it. Add some more Parm before serving, and get ready to dive into this perfect spring dinner.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

Store the pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When reheating on the stove (preferably in a nonstick skillet), cook over low heat until warmed through. Since the pasta will have absorbed most of the liquid, add a little bit of cream.