White Bean Primavera Food

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN PASTA

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat to bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander.
• While you're waiting for the water to boil, mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, or until it has softened and become very fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil. Sauté the tomatoes until the skins burst and the tomatoes begin to release their juices. It's important to not have the heat under the skillet too high here or the garlic may burn before the tomatoes break down. You want the garlic to brown and caramelize a bit, but not burn.
• Once the tomatoes begin to break down, add the spinach and stir it into the tomatoes until it is about half way wilted.
• Rinse and drain the can of cannellini beans. Add the beans to the skillet and stir until they are heated through. The tomato juices will have created a thick sauce-like mixture on the bottom of the skillet at this point. Taste the mixture and add a bit more salt if needed. It should be slightly on the salty side in order to properly flavor the pasta.
• Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet. Toss until the pasta is coated in the sticky sauce and everything is combined. Top with shredded parmesan, plus add a bit of Parmesan to the top of each bowl.

PRIMAVERA PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until no longer hot; set aside.
• To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, milk, sour cream, parsley, chives, mint, lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons Parmesan in a small bowl. Set aside. Before tossing, splash in more milk if needed for thinning.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, peas, asparagus, carrots and leeks. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Top with the remaining tablespoon of Parmesan and some black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

EASY PASTA PRIMAVERA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, oregano, and thyme. Season with a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle a good amount of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat.
• Transfer the vegetables to a large sheet pan (or two if needed). Spread them out well. Roast in heated oven for about 20 minutes (stirring half-way through).
• While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package (about 10 to 12 minutes). Reserve some of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta.
• Transfer pasta to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, and if you like, a little oregano and fresh thyme. Add the vegetables in. Add the tomatoes and lemon zest. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water, a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to combine.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

WHITE BEAN PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir, then cook undisturbed in an even layer until one side is golden, about 4 minutes. (It's great if the butter browns, but decrease the heat if it threatens to get too dark.) Stir in the asparagus, carrot and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas, scallions and ½ teaspoon salt, then add the red-pepper flakes, oregano and a generous amount of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the peas are warmed through and bright green, about 2 minutes.
• Add the white beans and the cream, lower the heat to medium, and let the cream come to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, Parmesan and Dijon. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of warm water to the creamy beans to loosen as you like; the sauce will thicken as it cools. (You may need more water when you reheat any leftovers.) Serve in bowls topped with the nuts and a handful of basil leaves. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Gently melt the butter with the parsley, chives and mint and set aside in a warm place. Prepare all the vegetables: shell the peas, wash the carrots and trim away any leaves but leave a short green stalk in place (the stalk is edible but it is also there to show the vegetable is freshly harvested!), thickly slice the courgettes and trim the green beans.
• Bring 2 large pans of water to the boil (one for the pasta, one for the veg). Lightly salt the water in one of the pans, add the pasta to it and cook until al dente (10-12 minutes or according to the cooking instructions on the packet). While the pasta cooks, add the carrots to the other pan and cook for 2 minutes. Next throw in the peas, green beans and courgettes and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Drain both the pasta and the vegetables well. Return the pasta to the hot pan with a splash of olive oil, half the herb butter and the lemon zest and juice. Return the vegetables to their pan, toss with the rest of the herb butter and season well with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the pasta on to serving plates, grind some black pepper over and serve with the vegetables on top. Scatter on as much basil as you like and serve straight away.

HEALTHY PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and put a steamer (or colander) over the water. Steam the beans, asparagus and peas until just tender, then set aside. Boil the pasta following pack instructions.
• Meanwhile, fry the leeks gently in the oil and butter for 5 mins or until soft. Add the fromage frais to the leeks and very gently warm through, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't split. Add the herbs and steamed vegetables with a splash of pasta water to loosen.
• Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Adjust the seasoning, then serve scattered with the cheese and drizzled with a little extra olive oil.