One of my favourite aspects of spring is the abundance of fresh produce at farmer’s markets across Victoria. Food just tastes better when it’s in season. Perhaps this is where “pasta primavera” gets its name.
Primavera, meaning "springtime" in Italian, is a dish full of bright, seasonal veggies. While a Primavera can be a risotto, involtini, or another dish highlighting fresh vegetables, pasta is a family staple. There was even a year when we ate pasta for dinner almost every night!
This pasta primavera is a simple recipe I learnt in Sicily in 2019 when we took a cooking class as a family. The chef taught me that fresh, organic, seasonal ingredients make the primavera perfetta. While we, of course, love all things French, we also have a deep love for Italy, especially when it comes to food. I hope you enjoy this colourful dish as much as we do!
La Ricetta
Preparation: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Cooking: 25 min
Servings: 4 People
Nothing could be simpler than this dish. Just boil the pasta in salted water, drain it al dente—saving a bit of pasta water—and toss it in a sauce of carrots, zucchini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and peas with sautéd garlic and red onions. Embellish with cheese, lemon zest, and chopped parsley e mangia!
Ingredienti
Pasta of your choice: 320 grams
Cherry tomatoes: 1 pack, ~18 tomatoes
Zucchini: 2 diced
Carrots: 2 shredded
Red onion: 1 diced
Garlic: 3-5 cloves minced
Peas: 250 grams
Asparagus: 1 bunch chopped small
Parsley: 1 bundle chopped
Lemon: 1 lemon zested
Pecorino: 90 grams
Extra-virgin olive oil: 2 tablespoons
Salt: To taste
Pepper: To taste
Preparation
First, prepare all of your ingredients so you can easily add them as you go. Then, pour olive oil into a deep pan on low to medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until translucent and lightly caramelised, about five minutes. Incorporate the minced garlic and continue sautéing until fragrant. Set a separate pot of lightly salted water to boil.
In the frying pan with the onions and garlic, toss in the zucchini and asparagus, and sauté for another five to ten minutes until softened. At this stage, add the salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the pecorino you add later will increase the dish's saltiness.
Boil the pasta until al dente. While the pasta is boiling, add the green peas, shredded carrots, and cherry tomatoes and mix with the rest of the vegetables, sautéing until the peas and tomatoes soften. When the Pasta is al dente, ladle a bit of pasta water into the sauce to help the cheese melt. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. Drain the pasta water and add the pasta to the pan with the veggies, tossing together. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top and mix to incorporate evenly into the dish.
