Apr

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus, Peppers and Mushrooms

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus

I love asparagus and right now there is lots of great-looking asparagus in the stores. Living in Chicago, I have to wait a few weeks at least before I can get locally-grown fresh asparagus, but the pencil-thin stalks at the grocery store (from Mexico) right now are irresistible, so I picked up a few pounds without a real plan…

I mentioned combining asparagus, pasta, olive oil and garlic to Paul, and he said, “That’s Pasta Primavera!” Duh! I’d heard of Pasta Primavera but never really knew what is was, and in fact I thought it was something much fancier… Somehow the actual recipe has never crossed my path so I looked up some recipes online and quickly realized there are many variations — so I decided to just make my own with ingredients on hand.

According to Wikipedia, “Primavera” means “season of spring”, and although this dish is most likely “derived from genuinely Italian dishes, under this name it is certainly an American dish, created in New York City in the early 1970s. The canonical story of its creation ascribes it to Sirio Maccioni, then owner of Le Cirque, in 1974″.

Here is my version which is simple, quick and delicious:

Asparagus - fresh, about 45 pencil-thin spears, cut into 2″ pieces
Scallions - 8, cut into thin slices (exclude green part)
Red Bell Pepper - 1, cut into 1/4″ strips, about 2-3″ long
Mushrooms - 8 oz (about 12 medium-sized) white, cut into 1/4″ slices
Garlic - 5 cloves, diced very small
Bow Tie (Farfalle) pasta - 8 oz
Olive Oil - 1 tbls plus 1/3 cup
Oregano - 1 tblsp dried
Basil - 1 tblsp dried
Parmesan or other hard Italian cheese - grated, about 1/3 cup (optional topping)

Boil a large pot of water and add pasta; cook “al dente” (slightly firm), and drain.
In a large pot (I use a cast-iron dutch oven), heat 1 tblsp olive oil over medium heat, and add all chopped vegetables, mushrooms and garlic.
Stir frequently and cook till slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup olive oil, herbs and drained pasta. Maintain heat, mix thoroughly and cook for another 5 minutes until all ingredients are blended and hot.
Serve immediately and if desired, sprinkle servings with Parmesan or Asiago cheese.