Healthy SoFlo Issue 49 - Menprovement: A Hub Design to Improve Men's Lives

HEALTHY FOOD · JUNE 2017
PASTA PRIMAVERA
“Pasta primavera” is Italian for “springtime
pasta”. It is a festive and colorful dish made
with pasta and lightly sautéed springtime
vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, pasta
primavera is not Italian in origin. While there
is some controversy regarding the originator
of the recipe, it is generally agreed that the
recipe was first developed
by chefs in North America.
Pasta primavera became a
signature dish at the famed
restaurant, Le Cirque, in
the 70’s and 80’s during the
heyday of nouvelle cuisine.
Still popular 40 years later,
pasta primavera has evolved
to a lighter and healthier
version of its predecessor.
Use the freshest early
springtime vegetables you
can find at your market. It’s
okay to make some veggie
substitutions, additions or
deletions, depending on what
inspires you.
I like to serve pasta primavera with some
crusty Italian bread and a crisp salad of fresh
greens.
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
WW
Salt
WW
8 ounces baby carrots,
WW
8 ounces sugar snap peas
WW
1 pound asparagus, cut into 2 inch
pieces on the diagonal
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1 cup peas
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8 ounces baby zucchini
WW
Extra virgin olive oil
WW
6 garlic cloves, sliced in half
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4 ounces mini yellow peppers, cut
into strips
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1 bunch scallions, sliced in 2 inch
pieces, on the diagonal
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12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
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zest of two lemons
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2 tablespoons chives, snipped
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2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
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1 tablespoon basil, chopped, plus
some whole leaves for garnish
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pepper
WW
1 pound pasta—fettuccine, farfalle,
or ziti
WW
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill two medium saucepans with water and
bring to a boil. Flavor boiling water with 1
teaspoon salt. Place carrots in one saucepan
and sugar snap peas in the other. Blanche
the carrots for about 4 minutes and the
sugar snap peas for about 2 minutes until
crisp tender. Remove the carrots (slice in
½ on the diagonal, if desired) and the sugar
snap peas with a slotted spoon and place
them in a large bowl of ice water to set
their color. Keep the water boiling in the
saucepans and repeat the process with the
asparagus, peas and baby zucchini (slice in
half on the diagonal, if desired), blanching
each for about 2 minutes and then placing
in an ice bath to set the color. Remove the
blanched veggies from the ice bath, place in
a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with
olive oil. Place the garlic in the oil and sauté
until golden. Remove from the pan and
chop. Sauté the yellow peppers and the
scallions for a few minutes, then remove
from the pan. Sauté the cherry tomatoes for
a couple of minutes, then remove from the
pan and slice in half.
Place carrots, sugar snap peas, asparagus,
peas and zucchini into the large sauté pan
and cook for a few minutes until heated
through. Add ½ of the chopped garlic, the
yellow peppers, scallions, cherry tomatoes,
the zest of one lemon, 1 tablespoon chives,
1 tablespoon parsley and 1 tablespoon
chopped basil, and toss all together lightly.
While you are preparing the spring
vegetables, bring a large pot of water to the
boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then add 1 pound
of fettuccine or your choice of pasta and
boil until al dente (following pasta package
directions).
When pasta is ready, remove to a large bowl
with a slotted spoon and save about 1 quart
of the pasta water. Place pasta back into the
large pot, with some olive oil, a couple of
tablespoons of pasta water, salt, pepper, the
remaining chopped garlic, zest of one lemon,
and the remaining chives, parsley and basil.
Toss together well.
You can either add all the veggies to the
pasta in the large pot and toss all together.
Or make individual plates with the pasta as
a base and a serving of the veggies over the
pasta (as seen in the recipe photo).
If desired, serve with grated parmesan
cheese.
6 servings
Recipe and photo
by Judy Elbaum
baba_judy
40 HEALTHY MAGAZINE