As American as Baseball, Mom’s Apple Pie and Pasta? Yep. If you’re talking about pasta primavera you’re talking All-American cuisine. And if you’re looking for the perfect spring or early summer dish, then you need look no further than this classic pairing of fresh spring vegetables and pasta in a light cream sauce.
Some of you may remember this dish from restaurant menus everywhere in the early 80′s. For those of you who do, don’t be afraid. This is not the mediocre (at best) prepackaged and over salted version of the dish that saturated family dining establishments for much of the latter 20th century, but a near faithful recreation of the original pasta primavera, attributed to the Le Cirque restaurant in New York City.
Having said that, please note that this is indeed a restaurant recipe. It was intended for a professional kitchen with no end of clean dishes, bowls, pots and pans. You’re going to have a bit of cleanup on your hands at the end of the exercise, but the end result is worth it… Well worth it.
This dish is an Italian-American classic in need of interpretation from a new generation of cooks and indeed has been tackled recently by contemporary cooks such as Hank Shaw, Elise Bauer and Giada De Laurentiis, all of whom have their own take on the dish, all with great results.
The best part, aside from the sheer enjoyment of the finished product, is that there really is no recipe needed. Pasta Primavera in its most basic form is “spring pasta”. It can include meats such as chicken, shrimp or bacon but if so, go sparingly on the protein. this dish is about the vegetables and should always be so. It’s a celebration of spring on a plate, so cook what’s fresh and you’ll have a winner every time.
Does your family have a Pasta Primavera recipe of its own? If so, please share the differences between the original and your family favorite. Please feel free to post links if you happen to have them. Enjoy!
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