Pasta Primavera
Spring into the season with this colorful and tasty dish
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett
When I was a teenager, I made most of my spending money babysitting. One
family’s home was particularly fun for me to work at because I knew
there would nearly always be something good tucked away in the fridge
for the kids and I to eat for dinner. Typically we ate leftovers, which
might be anything from Chinese chow mein to classic spaghetti with meat
sauce. One particularly delicious day on the job included sampling a
multi-layer chocolate cake with a chocolate ribbon on top. The cake was
spectacular looking and tasting, worthy of a grand party, but it was
something the family had whipped up simply to see if they could achieve
the same results they had seen on a magazine cover. As far as I could
tell, they’d achieved nothing less than total success.
My mom is a skilled and efficient home cook who taught me solid kitchen
basics, but rubbing shoulders with this family I discovered what it
meant to pursue cooking beyond simply learning how to feed everyone
several times a day. For these folks, cooking was a hobby and a
passion, a way to bring the family together to share an experience.
At bedtime, I would tuck the kids in, then flip on the television and
open a cookbook. The variety of cookbooks in the house spanned several
shelves and covered cooking techniques that were new to me. I loved
those books, but it was the spattered, well-loved recipe box filled with
family favorites that sat on the kitchen counter that truly captured my
imagination. On occasion, I would grab a few note cards from home on
my way to babysit so I could hand copy recipes that looked new and
tasty, but were still simple enough for a novice like me to make on my
own. The recipe I’ve shared here is one of those, still written in my
curvy teenage handwriting on a well-worn yellow index card.
Pasta primavera. It sounded just a bit exotic, that Italian name. I
later learned it meant “spring” in Italian, and in the 30 or so years
since I made my first batch, I’ve varied the veggies and protein based
on what was fresh at the market, or in need of consumption in my
fridge. Here, I’ve included the original veggies in the recipe for
sentimental reasons. The first time I made it, I remember what a
revelation it was to taste the decadent richness of the sauce balanced
with the barely cooked, vibrant springtime vegetables, a promise of
warmer days and a plentiful harvest in every bite.
Over the years I have learned that I prefer to increase the vegetables
and decrease the sauce and the pasta to create a lighter dish, but
cooked according to the original instructions, the butter, cream and
cheese combine to make a deliciously rich celebration of spring. Made
without the shrimp, it’s a fantastic side dish for grilled chicken or
meat and can be served warm or at room temperature. One other thing
I’ve learned to appreciate is that cooking primavera is quick, which is
important during this season when pleasant weather can be fleeting.
Making a batch of this takes little time, produces few dishes to clean
up, and allows you to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Pasta Primavera
2 large zucchini, cut into quarters and chopped thinly
10 – 12 mini sweet red and yellow peppers, thinly sliced
5 carrots, sliced
2 yellow onions, diced
2 heads broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1/2 pound snow peas
2 pints whipping cream
2 sticks butter (16 Tbs)
2 cups Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 pounds fettuccini noodles
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound cooked, frozen shrimp, rinsed and drained
Fresh basil, chopped, to taste
Cook fettuccini according to package directions to desired doneness,
taking care to use plenty of water, adding a bit of olive oil to the
water, and stirring frequently to prevent noodles from clumping. While
noodles boil, sauté onion in a bit of the butter until soft, then add
the rest of the butter and stir continuously until it is melted.
Continue to stir the mixture while adding the cream, and then add the
cheese and stir until it is melted and the mixture is smooth. Drain
noodles, return them to their cooking pot and add the sauce, stirring
and tossing until noodles are evenly coated. Cover the pot to keep the
noodles warm and add the olive oil to the same pan you cooked the sauce
in. When the olive oil is warm, add the carrots and sauté for
two-to-three minutes before adding zucchini. Sauté another few minutes
before adding broccoli, then peppers, and then peas. Cook just until
veggies are tender but still crisp and vibrant in color. Add shrimp and
then mix with pasta and sauce.
Garnish with fresh basil. Bon Appétit!
