I've been making pasta primavera since I first saw the recipe in the New York Times, circa 1985, from the renowned but now-defunct Le Cirque. Sure, it's a little work, but looks (and more importantly, tastes) nothing less than impressive, especially if you detour from the blueprint slightly and serve the tomato sauce on top of creamy, vegetable-laden pasta and sprinkle the pine nuts over before serving.
You can go the traditional route, with its many steps, or take a slightly easier (and definitely lighter) route with Giada DeLaurentiis' version, from her debut cookbook, Everyday Italian. Both, which celebrate spring's bounty (primavera means Spring in Italian) are delicious in their own unique way. Relish suggests a little more broth and 1/2 cup of mascarpone to go along with the heavy cream).
Le Cirque's Spa'tti Primavera
1 bunch broccoli
2 small zucchini
4 asparagus spears, approximately 5 inches long
1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
3/4 cup fresh or frozen pea pods (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh hot pepper, finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
3 cups ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 fresh basil leaves
1 lbs. spaghetti or spaghettini
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (or more to taste)
2/3 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1/3 cup pine nuts
Trim broccoli and break it into bite-size florets. Set aside.
Trim off and discard the ends of zucchini. Do not peel the zucchini. Cut zucchini into quarters. Cut each quarter into 1-inch lengths. There should be about 1 1/2 cups, no more. Set aside.
Cut each asparagus spear into thirds. Set aside.
Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover. It is essential to cook each vegetable so that it remains crisp but tender. Cook broccoli, zucchini, asparagus and green beans about 5 minutes. Drain well, run under cold water to chill and drain. Combine in a mixing bowl.
Cook peas and pea pods 1 minute if fresh, 30 seconds if frozen. Drain, chill and drain again. Combine all vegetables in mixing bowl.
Heat oil in a skillet and add mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste, shaking the skillet and stirring. Cook about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms to the vegetables. Add chopped chilies and parsley.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, all the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up the tomatoes more than necessary. Add basil, stir and set aside.
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and add remaining garlic along with vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, just to heat through.
Drop the spaghetti into boiling salted water. Cook until al dente. Drain well. Return spaghetti to pot.
Select utensil large enough to hold drained spaghetti and vegetables. To this, add butter. When it melts, add chicken broth, 1/2 cup cream and cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently on and off heat until smooth. Add spaghetti and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.
Add remaining vegetables and, if sauce seems too dry, add about 1/4 cup more cream. Sauce should not be soupy. Add pine nuts and give mixture final tossing.
Serve equal portions of the spaghetti mixture in 4-to-8 soup or spaghetti bowls, depending on whether spaghetti is being served as main course or appetizer. Spoon equal amounts of tomatoes over each serving. Serve immediately.
Giada's Pasta Primavera
3 carrots, peeled
2 medium zucchini
2 yellow summer squash
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground, or more to taste
1 lb. farfalle
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 Parmesan, freshly grated
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the carrots, zucchini, squash and bell peppers into thin 2-inch-long strips. On a large baking sheet (foil-lined, if desired), toss the vegetable strips, onion, oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Transfer 1/2 of the mixture to another large baking sheet, arranging vegetables evenly. Roast, stirring after 10 minutes, until carrots are tender and vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes total.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add farfalle and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss pasta with roasted vegetables. Add cherry tomatoes and enough cooking pasta water to moisten. Season with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.
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