Classic Pasta Primavera Food

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• For the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for 1 minute. Then add the broccoli; cook for another minute. Add the red peppers; cook 1 minute more. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
• To the skillet, add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; allow to heat up. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and squash, and cook until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and add them to the other vegetables. Set aside.
• For the sauce: Add the garlic and onions to the skillet, and cook until starting to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Next, pour in the chicken broth and wine; stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the flavorful bits. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until reduced by about half. Stir in the cream and Parmesan, and allow the cheese to melt. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• Add the cooked vegetables to the sauce, along with the peas and basil; stir to combine. If the sauce needs a little more liquid, splash in a small amount of broth. Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and pour all the contents of the skillet over the pasta; toss to combine. Sprinkle with extra basil, and serve with extra Parmesan.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook as the label directs. Add the sugar snap peas and/or broccoli, carrots and bell pepper to the boiling water during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the tomatoes begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water. Pour the tomato mixture over the pasta and vegetables. Add the mint, parmesan and half the goat cheese and toss to combine. Season with salt.
• Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with the remaining goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

CLASSIC PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Blanch the broccoli, asparagus, snow peas: Get a large pot of water boiling. Salt it well. It should taste like the sea. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Boil the broccoli for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and boil another minute. Add the snow peas and boil for 30 more seconds. Remove all the vegetables and plunge them into the ice water. Once they're cool, drain in a colander. If you want, you can boil your pasta in the same pot you boiled the vegetables in, or you can start over and boil new water; I use the same water.
• Sauté the zucchini and garlic, then add the tomatoes: In a large sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, add the garlic and zucchini and sauté 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté another 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the stock, cream, blanched vegetables, and peas: Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil. Add the cream and toss in all the vegetables you boiled, plus the peas. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down until the cream-chicken broth mixture is just simmering, not boiling.
• Add the Parmesan: Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. If the sauce seems too thick-it should be pretty thick, but not gloppy-add some more chicken broth, cream or water.
• Boil the pasta: If you are using spaghetti, you will want to start cooking it before you begin sautéing the garlic and zucchini. Angel hair will only need 1 to 2 minutes to cook, vermicelli or spaghetti can take 8 to 12 minutes.
• Toss the pasta and serve: As soon as the pasta is done, transfer it with tongs into the sauce and stir to combine. Add the basil now, and taste for salt. Add salt if needed. Grind some black pepper over everything and serve immediately. You will want a dry white wine with this, ideally a dry French white.

CLASSIC PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot for pasta.
• Bring 3 quarts water to boil in a large saucepan for veggies with salt.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
• Add green beans to water and cook for 1.5 minutes.
• Add asparagus and cook 30 seconds.
• Add zucchini and cook 30 seconds.
• Add peas and cook 30 seconds.
• Drain veggies and plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Let them sit until chilled, about 3 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Melt 3 tbs butter in the now empty saucepan over medium heat.
• Add mushrooms and cook until soft and lightly brown, 8-10 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes and pepper flakes, cook until tomatoes begin to loose their shape, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
• Add pasta and 1 tbs kosher salt to pot and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
• While pasta is cooking, melt remaining 3 tbs butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add blanched veggies and cook until heated through and infused with garlic, about 2 minutes.
• Season to taste.
• Bring tomatoe sauce back to a simmer over medium heat.
• Drain pasta and return it to the pot.
• Add tomato sauce, veggies, basil and lemon juice. Toss to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately passing Parmesan separately.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Add peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes and cook until softened, an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot strips.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with vegetables and sauce. Add pasta water, if necessary, to loosen mixture. Serve garnished with Parmesan, parsley and basil.

CLASSIC PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• 1. Put on water to boil for spaghetti and add a good amount of salt. Get all your vegetables together. Pour oil in skillet or saute pan until hot and add the mushrooms and garlic. Let cook until almost done.
• 2. Add other vegetables into the pan and let cook until desired doneness. Add more salt at this time if desired.
• 3. Sprinkle grated parm over all and add butter,letting it melt in pan. Then add cream and stir. Cheese will thicken the sauce. Add more cream or milk to the sauce if needed or to desired thickeness.
• 4. Keep sauce on low temp until spaghetti is done and mix all together. Serve.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Trim broccoli and break into florets. Trim off ends of the zucchini. Cut into quarters, then cut into 1-inch or slightly longer lengths (about 1 1/2 cups). Cut each asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Trim beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover until crisp but tender. Drain well, then run under cold water to chill, and drain again thoroughly. Combine the cooked vegetables in a bowl.
• Cook the peas and pods; about 1 minute if fresh; 30 seconds if frozen. Drain, chill with cold water and drain again. Combine with the vegetables.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil and add the mushrooms. Season to taste. Cook about 2 minutes, shaking the skillet and stirring. Add the mushrooms, chili and parsley to the vegetables.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook about 4 minutes. Add the basil.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until heated through.
• Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until almost (but not quite) tender, retaining a slight resilience in the center. Drain well.
• In a pot large enough to hold the spaghetti and vegetables, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Then add the chicken broth and half a cup each of cream and cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently until smooth. Add the spaghetti and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.
• Add the remaining vegetables. If the sauce seems dry, add 3 to 4 tablespoons more cream. Add the pine nuts and give the mixture a final tossing.
• Serve equal portions of the spaghetti mixture in hot soup or spaghetti bowls. Spoon equal amounts of the tomatoes over each serving. Serve immediately.

CREAMLESS PENNE PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a large pot and cook dry penne pasta to desired doneness per package directions. (Only 2.8 quarts -- 2.5 liters -- of water are required, but with the smaller amount of water, it would take longer for the water to return to a boil once the pasta is added.).
• Meanwhile, precook broccoli florets and carrots. If boiling in water, boil for 3-5 minutes and check for doneness with fork. Otherwise, vegetables can be steamed. Once cooked, transfer vegetables to ice water to halt cooking and preserve bright color, then drain. Set aside until step 4.
• In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil 1 minute or until hot and saute the onion and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.
• Add the vegetables and saute until the peppers are soft, about 2 minutes.
• Deglaze with the beef broth, if using, or just a splash (1 fluid ounce) of dry white wine.
• Add the drained penne noodles and basil and season to taste.
• Toss well and serve immediately with some freshly grated Parmesan or Grana di Padano cheese on the side.

SHRIMP AND PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. (the olive oil keeps the butter from scorching).
• Saute garlic for about 1 minute.
• Add vegetables and saute until just crisp-tender.
• Add shrimp and saute until just heated through.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Squeeze juice of half a lemon over all. Continue to cook about 2 minutes until juices have been reduced by about half.
• Remove from heat.
• Toss vegetables and shrimp with pasta. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and additional salt and pepper if desired.