Pasta Primavera
Pasta Primavera is a popular American dish inspired by Italian traditions, created in the 1970s at Le Cirque restaurant in New York City. Light and fresh, perfect for spring and summer.
Ingredients
- 300 gpasta
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 1 red onion, cut into half rings
- 1 smallzucchini
- 1 smallyellow squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper
- 1 cupfrozen green peas
- 200 gasparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
- 200 gcherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cupparmesan
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1 tspfresh thyme leaves
- to tastesalt and black pepper
- for garnishfresh basil
1 cup = 240 ml
Method
- In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and asparagus. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add green peas and cherry tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour in the lemon juice and add the lemon zest, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Sprinkle with grated parmesan and stir until the cheese melts and coats the pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.
FAQ
There's no strict list — primavera means 'spring' in Italian, so use whatever spring or seasonal vegetables you have: broccoli, green beans, spinach, peas, courgette, asparagus, peppers. The key rule: vegetables should stay bright and slightly crisp, not overcooked and mushy.
Yes — classic primavera doesn't use cream at all. The sauce base is olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and starchy pasta cooking water. That water binds everything together and makes the sauce silky. Don't pour it all away before draining the pasta — save a cup.
The pan wasn't hot enough, or too many vegetables were added at once. Fry vegetables over high heat in small batches — they'll caramelize instead of steaming in their own juices. Don't stir too often: let each side get some color before turning.
Yes, it's a popular variation. Cook the chicken or shrimp separately until done, set aside, then cook the vegetables and add the protein at the end. That way nothing gets overcooked. Shrimp take 2–3 minutes, chicken fillet 5–7 minutes.
Nutritional yeast — 2–3 tablespoons give a nutty, cheesy flavor without any dairy. Or use cashew-based vegan Parmesan. You can also simply increase the lemon juice and olive oil — the pasta will be fresh and vibrant without any cheese.
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Comments (1)
Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, not in the water. Those last 2 minutes of simmering together create a bond between grain and sauce that plating separately never achieves.