Pasta Primavera
Pasta primavera is a celebration of everything that is light and fresh about spring.
Pasta primavera is an ‘Italian’ dish that is not really Italian but comes from the restaurants of America and Canada. Fresh pasta is paired with Italy’s finest spring bounty – asparagus, peas and zucchini – to make a bowl of green and white delight. Here is how the Italians would make it:
Pasta dough
- 200g flour, plus a little extra
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch salt
Topping
- 1 pack fresh asparagus
- ½ cup peas
- 3 zucchinis (courgettes)
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- ½ cup mascarpone or ricotta
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Parmesan
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Make the pasta by mixing the flour, salt and egg together until you have a smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes, then roll it out and cut into tagliatelle (or use a pasta machine to make the pasta). When ready to serve, add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and add the mascarpone and season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and serve with shaved parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.
Prepare the vegetables: Cook the peas and beans in boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain and set aside. Cut the asparagus into pieces. Cut the zucchini into slices at an angle. Add a little olive oil to a pan and add the zucchini. Sauté for a while until it starts to soften, then add the asparagus and the peas and beans. Sauté for a few minutes, then add to the pasta.