So is my suggestion that any of these vegetables came from my garden, because they didn’t.īut enough of my issues, let’s get on to the dish itself! I’ve been cooking this very recipe for twenty years. Is there a Pasta Naming Coalition who can hear my complaint? Is there a form I can fill out? It’s just that I believe calling it Pasta Primavera is really dishonest. And really, since many of the vegetables used in my recipe don’t become ripe in my garden until at least the middle of July, "Spring Pasta" really isn’t a fitting name at all. As I sit typing this post in 97-degree weather, I’m well aware that it’s no longer spring. It’s Pasta Primavera, which translates to "Spring Pasta" in English, and the classic dish uses a mixture of bright green vegetables mixed with pasta. So for my life, this dish is poised right at the top of my list of "Chick Foods", which means I won’t make it unless Marlboro Man is in China for the week.
And I know there are some of you Renaissance Men out there who are not above eating a dinner wholly devoid of animal flesh, but I sure don’t know any of you. I say that because, well, there’s no meat in it. But watch the salt later.Ĭhick Food Alert: This one’s for the ladies, gentlemen. Note: if you’re averse to wine, add chicken broth instead.
Top with more Parmesan, salt, pepper, and basil to taste. If the sauce seems a little thick, or if there doesn’t seem to be enough sauce, add a good splash of chicken broth and a little more half-and-half. Chiffonade 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves and add that to the sauce stir.ĭump veggies and mushrooms into the sauce along with ½ cup frozen peas right out of the freezer. Measure out ½ cup grated Parmesan add to the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken.Īdd 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup half-and-half. Add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, a tablespoon of butter and scrape the bottom of the skillet to pull up the flavor left behind by the veggie cooking. To make the sauce, pour ¼ to ½ cup dry white wine into the skillet (see note below). Cook mushrooms for a minute or two (add salt to taste), and again transfer to the plate. Add squash and zucchini, cook for less than a minute, then transfer to plate.
Stir them around for a minute or so, then transfer them to the plate.Īdd pasta to slightly salted boiling water and cook to al dente.Īdd a tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Add in the red pepper strips to the skillet. Stir it around, and PLEASE, PLEASE cook it for only a minute, tops. Add the chopped onion and garlic together and cook for a minute or two, until they start to turn translucent. Heat 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Roughly slice the mushrooms and slice the red pepper (seeded) into strips. Slice carrots on the bias (diagonally), and do the same for the zucchini and yellow squash. Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ cups worth.