Pasta Primavera is a pasta dish full of in season fresh vegetables. It’s versatile and you can swap out any of the vegetables here for your favorites – this spring version uses fresh asparagus, peas and tomatoes and is tossed in a light sauce made with lemon, butter and parmesan. This dish is bright and flavor packed – I hope that you enjoy it! Buon Appetito!
Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettucine
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lb asparagus, stems removed
- 1 bag frozen peas (13 oz)
- 2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Juice (3 oz) and zest from one lemon
- 1/4 cup Flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt
- Red Pepper flakes
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook your pasta 2-3 minutes shy of the box directions.
- In a large frying pan on high heat, heat two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes to taste. Meanwhile, wash and prepare your asparagus. Chop off the tough ends (about 1-2 inches from the bottom) and chop asparagus into 1 inch pieces on a bias, leaving the tips in tact. Dry and add to the hot oil. Salt with a pinch of salt and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.* Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil and shallots. Season the shallots with a pinch of salt and sauté the shallots until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add in butter and allow to melt. Once the butter is melted, add the lemon juice, followed by the frozen peas. Salt the peas with a pinch of salt, and reduce the heat to low and allow peas to cook while pasta cooks.
- Meanwhile, the pasta water should be boiling, and you can begin to cook your pasta. Add the fettucine and cook for about 8-9 minutes, a few minutes shy of the box directions. When the pasta is ready, remove the pasta with tongs and transfer it to the frying pan. Add about 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan and add parmesan cheese – toss together quickly. Let the pasta cook with the peas until all the liquid has absorbed and created a silky sauce.**
- Turn the heat off, and add back the asparagus, tomatoes, lemon zest and parsley (if desired, reserve a bit for garnish.)
- Plate and top with additional parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately.
*Asparagus tends to vary in thickness so be careful to not overcook them. Very thin asparagus might only need a few minutes to become fork tender, while the thicker variety will be longer. You want a fork to be able to pierce the asparagus, without it being mushy.
**If the pasta water has absorbed, but the pasta is not done to your taste, just add pasta water 1/2 cup at a time until absorbed.
