Primavera is the Italian word for Spring, and this Primavera Pasta is all about new Spring vegetables and fresh flavours.
Don’t you think Primavera is the perfect word for Spring? It means the first truth and reminds me of those first green shoots poking out of damp soil after months of nothingness. This essence of freshness, new seasons, new hope, is so beautifully captured in this phrase, and it is the taste I am searching for in this Primavera Pasta.
Firstly, I’ve called it “wild” primavera pasta because I’m going to use all the leftover pasta I have in my pantry, which I think works well to echo the organic shapes of the veggies and the wild nature of spring.
We’ll start with loads of fresh Spring veggies like snow peas and broccolini, and slice them to show off their beautiful angles. We’ll create a light version of the creamy sauce originally created by Le Cirque, using goat cheese, a little butter and pasta water to create a glossy creamy sauce. Then we’ll top with our veggies, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. Make sure to top with some freshly grated parmesan and you have a fresh dinner that hopefully captures the essence of “Primavera”.
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Primavera Pasta Ingredients
- Garlic
- Snow peas
- Broccolini
- Lemon
- Parsley
- Frozen baby peas
- Sun dried tomatoes in oil
- Red onion
- Pasta (mixed - any leftovers you have at home or short pasta)
- Pine nuts
- Parmesan cheese
- Butter
- Goat cheese
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Primavera Pasta
1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
TIP: Covering it with a lid will help it boil faster.
2. Peel and chop garlic. Top and tail snow peas, then slice on an angle. Trim broccolini and finely slice florets then slice stalks on an angle. Slice lemon and squeeze juice. Finely chop parsley. Measure out peas. Roughly chop sun dried tomatoes and reserve oil. Very finely slice red onion into wedges.
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200g snow peas
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 lemon
- ½ bunch parsley
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- ½ red onion
3. Once water is boiling, add pasta and set a timer for 10 minutes, or until al dente according to packet instructions. If you are using pastas of different weights, like I am, put in the pasta that takes longer to cook, first.
- 350g pasta (mixed - any leftovers you have at home or short pasta)
4. Place a frying pan over low heat and dry roast pine nuts, stirring every minute or two until they are golden brown. Set pine nuts aside.
TIP: Once they start to brown watch them closely.
- ¼ cup pine nuts
5. Add oil from the sundried tomatoes to your frying pan and saute garlic. Once fragrant add broccolini, snow peas and red onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat.
- 2 teaspoon oil from sun dried tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 200g snow peas
- ½ red onion
6. Finely grate parmesan. Measure out butter and goat cheese.
- 80g parmesan cheese (block)
- 40g butter
- 120g goat cheese
7. When the pasta timer goes, scoop out a cup of pasta water and set aside. Add baby peas and cook for 30 seconds more, then drain pasta and peas. Return to the pot and place over low heat.
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
8. Stir through lemon juice, butter, goat cheese, half the parmesan cheese, and pasta water (quarter cup at a time) until you have a creamy sauce and pasta is well coated. Add sundried tomatoes and stir through.
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 40g butter
- 120g goat cheese
- 40g parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
9. Top with sauteed vegetables, pine nuts, parsley and remaining parmesan cheese.
- ½ bunch parsley
- 40g parmesan cheese
10. Divide up amongst plates to serve.
Substitutions
- Alternative protein - You could also add grilled chicken breast or crispy bacon or pancetta to this dish.
- Vegetarian - This is vegetarian.
- Gluten Free - Use gluten free pasta.
- Dairy Free - Instead of making a creamy sauce with butter and goat cheese, use dairy-free cooking cream and dairy free parmesan. Alternatively you can skip the dairy flavours all together and replace it with pesto - this would be equally delicious.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Option to serve your child their pasta after you’ve dressed it in goat cheese, and before you’ve mixed through all the vegetables, and then add the vegetables on the side.
Equipment
You will need a lidded pot, a stovetop, a frying pan.
Top tip
Make sure to reserve at least a cupful of pasta water - this is key to making our sauce. Also, when you are cooking the pasta, stagger when you drop the different shapes into the water, based on their cooking time on their packet.
Recipe
Crazy Primavera Pasta
Equipment
- Lidded pot
- Stovetop
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200 g snow peas
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 lemon
- ½ bunch parsley
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- 350 g pasta mixed - any leftovers you have at home or short pasta
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 teaspoon oil from sundried tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese 80 g block
- 40 g butter
- 120 g goat cheese
Instructions
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.TIP: Covering it with a lid will help it boil faster.
- Peel and chop garlic. Top and tail snow peas, then slice on an angle. Trim broccolini and finely slice florets then slice stalks on an angle. Slice lemon and squeeze juice. Finely chop parsley. Measure out peas. Roughly chop sun dried tomatoes and reserve oil. Very finely slice red onion into wedges.2 cloves garlic, 200 g snow peas, 1 bunch broccolini, 1 lemon, ½ bunch parsley, 1 cup frozen baby peas, ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, ½ red onion
- Once water is boiling, add pasta and set a timer for 10 minutes, or until al dente according to packet instructions. If you are using pastas of different weights, like I am, put in the pasta that takes longer to cook, first.350 g pasta
- Place a frying pan over low heat and dry roast pine nuts, stirring every minute or two until they are golden brown. Set pine nuts aside.TIP: Once they start to brown watch them closely.¼ cup pine nuts
- Add oil from the sundried tomatoes to your frying pan and saute garlic. Once fragrant add broccolini, snow peas and red onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat.2 cloves garlic, 200 g snow peas, 1 bunch broccolini, 2 teaspoon oil from sundried tomatoes, ½ red onion
- Finely grate 80 gram block of parmesan cheese. Measure out butter and goat cheese.Parmesan cheese, 40 g butter, 120 g goat cheese
- When the pasta timer goes, scoop out a cup of pasta water and set aside. Add baby peas and cook for 30 seconds more, then drain pasta and peas. Return to the pot and place over low heat.1 cup frozen baby peas
- Stir through lemon juice, butter, goat cheese, half the grated parmesan cheese (40 g), and pasta water (quarter cup at a time) until you have a creamy sauce and pasta is well coated. Add sundried tomatoes and stir through.1 lemon, Parmesan cheese, 40 g butter, 120 g goat cheese, ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- Top with sauteed vegetables, pine nuts, parsley and remaining parmesan cheese.½ bunch parsley, Parmesan cheese
- Divide up amongst plates to serve.
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