Pasta Primavera
(This recipe is from a cooking class I took at Cooks & Company in Columbus, IN, on 3/28/2002, and was taught by Marie Huntington. It is fantastic!)
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and broken into bite-size flowerets, blanched about 5 minutes or less; set aside.
1 small zucchini, trimmed, cut into bite-size lengths (Marie julienned on a mandolin.) There should be about 1-1/2 cups. Blanch about 5 minutes or less; set aside.
4 asparagus spears, each about 5" long, tough ends snapped off and discarded, blanched and set aside. (I use more.)
1-1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths, blanched about 5 minutes, set aside.
Salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas--defrosted if frozen peas are used; blanched 1 minute if fresh are used (Marie used frozen baby peas, defrosted.)
3/4 cup fresh pea pods, trimmed and blanched 1 minute
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chopped hot, fresh chile, or 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 cups red, ripe tomatoes, peeled and squeezed, cut into 1" cubes
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped, about 1/4 cup, or 1 teaspoon dried basil (Marie used fresh basil.)
1 lb spaghetti
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream, approximately
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
(Marie also added some sauteed yellow bell and red bell peppers, julienned; and blanched carrot strips.)
Combine all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the mushrooms. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, shaking the skillet and stirring. Cook for about 2 mintues. Add the mushrooms to the vegetable mixture. Add the chopped chile and parsley.
Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up the tomatoes more than is essential. Add the basil, stir and set aside.
Heat the remaining 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, just to heat through.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain well.
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the chicken stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently until smooth. Add the pasta and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, tossing and stirring over very low heat. Add the remaining vegetables and, if the sauce seems too dry, add about 1/4 cup more cream. The sauce should not be soupy. Add the pine nuts and give the mixture one final tossing. Serve in hot bowls, spooning equal amounts of the tomatoes over the top of each serving. Makes 4 to 8 servings.
(This recipe is from a cooking class I took at Cooks & Company in Columbus, IN, on 3/28/2002, and was taught by Marie Huntington. It is fantastic!)
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and broken into bite-size flowerets, blanched about 5 minutes or less; set aside.
1 small zucchini, trimmed, cut into bite-size lengths (Marie julienned on a mandolin.) There should be about 1-1/2 cups. Blanch about 5 minutes or less; set aside.
4 asparagus spears, each about 5" long, tough ends snapped off and discarded, blanched and set aside. (I use more.)
1-1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths, blanched about 5 minutes, set aside.
Salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas--defrosted if frozen peas are used; blanched 1 minute if fresh are used (Marie used frozen baby peas, defrosted.)
3/4 cup fresh pea pods, trimmed and blanched 1 minute
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chopped hot, fresh chile, or 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 cups red, ripe tomatoes, peeled and squeezed, cut into 1" cubes
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped, about 1/4 cup, or 1 teaspoon dried basil (Marie used fresh basil.)
1 lb spaghetti
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream, approximately
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
(Marie also added some sauteed yellow bell and red bell peppers, julienned; and blanched carrot strips.)
Combine all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the mushrooms. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, shaking the skillet and stirring. Cook for about 2 mintues. Add the mushrooms to the vegetable mixture. Add the chopped chile and parsley.
Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up the tomatoes more than is essential. Add the basil, stir and set aside.
Heat the remaining 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, just to heat through.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain well.
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the chicken stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently until smooth. Add the pasta and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, tossing and stirring over very low heat. Add the remaining vegetables and, if the sauce seems too dry, add about 1/4 cup more cream. The sauce should not be soupy. Add the pine nuts and give the mixture one final tossing. Serve in hot bowls, spooning equal amounts of the tomatoes over the top of each serving. Makes 4 to 8 servings.