Description
Pasta Primavera is a classic American-Italian dish known for its vibrant mix of fresh vegetables and creamy sauce served over linguine. First popularized in the 1970’s by Le Cirque restaurant in NYC, this recipe combines tender-crisp vegetables like broccolini, snow peas, asparagus, zucchini, and mushrooms with a rich Parmigiano cream sauce. Toasted pine nuts add a signature crunch, making it a comforting yet lighter pasta dish perfect for a satisfying main course.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 300g / 10 oz linguine (or fettucine, or other long and flat pasta)
Vegetables
- 150g / 5oz white mushrooms, sliced 0.4cm / 1/6″ thick (~8 pieces)
- 1/2 large zucchini, cut into 0.5cm / 0.2″ rounds (100g/4 oz piece)
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 1/2 cup snow peas (~10 pieces, 75g/2.5oz)
- 1 bunch green asparagus (~8 to 10 stalks)
- 1 cup green peas, defrosted
- 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Cream Sauce
- 5 tbsp / 75 g unsalted butter
- 1 cup thickened / heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated (or regular Parmesan)
Cooking
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pasta cooking water (reserved)
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt, plus 1 tbsp for pasta water
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Cut broccolini into florets and halve lengthwise, slice stems diagonally into 2.5 cm pieces. Remove strings from snow peas and slice diagonally about 1 cm wide. Snap the woody ends off asparagus, separate tips and set aside; slice stems diagonally into 2.5 cm pieces.
- Make Cream Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cream and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Stir gently until cream simmers and cheese melts completely, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions less one minute. Just before draining, reserve about 1/3 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta.
- Cook Mushrooms: Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook mushrooms for 4 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Cook Vegetables: Using remaining olive oil in the same skillet, cook broccolini, snow peas, and asparagus stems for 2 minutes. Add zucchini, cherry tomatoes, green peas, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook an additional 3 minutes. Return mushrooms to skillet, toss gently, then remove from heat.
- Toss Pasta and Sauce: Return drained pasta to the empty pot. Add cooked vegetables, cream sauce, and reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat using wooden spoons until the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta strands, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add extra pasta water if needed to maintain sauce consistency.
- Add Basil and Pine Nuts: Quickly toss sliced fresh basil through the pasta. Divide among four bowls and sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- To lighten the dish and reduce calories, use reduced-fat cream or substitute half the cream with milk.
- The timing of vegetable cooking is crucial to achieve tender-crisp texture; avoid overcooking.
- Using Parmigiano Reggiano is preferred for its rich flavor, but regular Parmesan can be substituted.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust sauce consistency, helping it cling better to pasta.
- To toast pine nuts, heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Any long, flat pasta such as linguine or fettucine works well for this recipe.
- Ensure garlic is finely minced to blend smoothly into the sauce without overpowering the vegetables.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American-Italian
