Relish Life One Bite at a Time
Welcome to the Relish e-Letter, where we celebrate food and help you get dinner on the table. For our kick-off issue we're celebrating spring--and what better way than with Pasta Primavera--a dish that literally means "spring style."
This is one of our favorite versions of this popular dish as it's rich yet fresh tasting at the same time. As is the case with lots of great dishes, this one was born out of necessity...and a bare kitchen. Restaurateur Sirio Maccioni, owner of New York City's famed Le Cirque 2000, was on a hunting trip, and when the group requested pasta he put together this dish with what was on hand in the kitchen. It truly is super adaptable--you can use most any vegetable you have in the crisper and vary the Alfredo sauce.
Pasta Primavera
Mascarpone (mahs-kahr-POH-neh) is a rich Italian double-cream cheese. Look for it in tubs in the cheese section of the grocery store. You can use cream cheese in its place.
Tomato topping:
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | clove minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon) |
| 3 | medium red, ripe tomatoes cut into one-inch cubes |
| 1/2 | cup chopped fresh basil leaves |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste |
Vegetables:
| 1 | pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces |
| 2 | small zucchini, cut into 2-inch matchstick slices (about 1 1/2 cups) |
| 4 | asparagus spears, cut in thirds after breaking off their tough ends |
| 2 | cups fresh or frozen green peas |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| Freshly ground pepper to taste |
| 1/2 | teaspoon dried red pepper flakes |
| 1/4 | cup chopped parsley |
| 2 | tablespoons butter |
| Pine nuts (optional) |
Pasta and Alfredo Sauce:
| 1 | pound spaghetti or spaghettini |
| 1/4 | cup lower sodium chicken broth |
| 1/2 | cup mascarpone cheese |
| 1/2 | cup heavy cream |
| 2/3 | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
Instructions
| 1. | To make tomato topping, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add garlic and tomatoes. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up tomatoes any more than necessary. Stir in basil and pepper to taste. |
| 2. | Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente-almost but not quite tender. Drain well, and set aside. |
| 3. | While spaghetti is cooking, make Alfredo sauce. Gently heat chicken broth, mascarpone cheese and 1/2 cup cream in a very large saucepan, then add Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth. |
| 4. | In boiling water, cook broccoli 3 minutes. Add zucchini and asparagus and continue cooking until they are crisp but tender, about 2 minutes. Add peas and cook for 30 seconds if frozen, 1 minute if fresh. Drain vegetables well. |
| 5. | Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add vegetables, salt, pepper, pepper flakes and parsley. Cook 2 minutes stirring gently, just long enough to heat through. Add butter, toss gently. |
| 6. | Add spaghetti to Alfredo sauce, toss to coat. Add vegetables, tossing and stirring over very low heat. |
| 7. | Serve spaghetti topped with the tomato sauce. Garnish with pine nuts, if desired. Serves 6. |
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 650 calories, 31g fat, 21g prot., 72g carbs., 9g fiber, 680mg sodium.
Recipe from Joan Nathan, contributor, relish magazine.
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