cooking
Spring Vegetable Pasta
Nothing is wasted when making this flavorful pasta dish, as you cook even the tough stem ends to extract their flavor. With peas, asparagus and leeks as the vegetables it truly does have that spring vegetable taste.
Add to that some chive, mint, garlic, lemon and Parmesan, and you have all of the ingredients for a great dinner. The original recipe came from Cook's Illustrated and although touted as great for vegetarians, my meat-loving family enjoys it too.
It's a bit time-consuming if you attempt to make it all at once. So I prefer to prep (wash, chop, shred, etc.) all of my ingredients early in the day and make the vegetable broth. Then nearer to dinner time, it is quick to do the final preparation. Campanelle is my pasta of choice in this dish, but farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes. I have another great recipe for campanelle with cauliflower and bacon if you are interested.
Ingredients (serves 6)
3 medium
1 pound asparagus
2 cups frozen baby peas
4 medium garlic cloves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1 lemon
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound campanelle
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep the ingredients: Cut the leeks, separating the white and light green parts from the dark green leaves. Halve the white/light green sections lengthwise and wash thoroughly to remove any sand. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place in a bowl. Roughly chop dark green parts and wash and reserve. Rinse the asparagus and cut or snap off the tough ends and reserve. Take the remaining more tender portion of the asparagus and cut it on the bias into 1/2-inch long (bite-sized) pieces. Thaw the peas. Mince the garlic, mint and chives. Zest and squeeze half a lemon. Grate the cheese.
Place dark green leek trimmings, asparagus end trimmings, 1 cup peas, 2 teaspoons garlic, vegetable broth, and water in large saucepan. Bring to simmer over high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and gently simmer 10 minutes. While broth simmers, combine mint, chives, and lemon zest in small bowl; cover and set aside.
Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into an 8-cup measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have 5 cups broth; add water as needed to measure 5 cups). Discard solids and return broth to saucepan. Cover.
You may do all of the above several hours or more in advance of your dinner and pause at this point until about 20-30 minutes prior to your planned meal service.
Place broth over medium-low heat and cook covered. .
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add sliced leeks and pinch salt; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add asparagus pieces and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons garlic and pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining cup peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside. Wipe out pot.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add hot broth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove pot from heat, stir in lemon juice, Parmesan, half of herb mixture, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, topping with some extra Parmesan cheese and herb mixture.
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| Julian's Spring Vegetable Pasta |
It's a bit time-consuming if you attempt to make it all at once. So I prefer to prep (wash, chop, shred, etc.) all of my ingredients early in the day and make the vegetable broth. Then nearer to dinner time, it is quick to do the final preparation. Campanelle is my pasta of choice in this dish, but farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes. I have another great recipe for campanelle with cauliflower and bacon if you are interested.
Ingredients (serves 6)
3 medium
1 pound asparagus
2 cups frozen baby peas
4 medium garlic cloves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1 lemon
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound campanelle
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep the ingredients: Cut the leeks, separating the white and light green parts from the dark green leaves. Halve the white/light green sections lengthwise and wash thoroughly to remove any sand. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place in a bowl. Roughly chop dark green parts and wash and reserve. Rinse the asparagus and cut or snap off the tough ends and reserve. Take the remaining more tender portion of the asparagus and cut it on the bias into 1/2-inch long (bite-sized) pieces. Thaw the peas. Mince the garlic, mint and chives. Zest and squeeze half a lemon. Grate the cheese.
Place dark green leek trimmings, asparagus end trimmings, 1 cup peas, 2 teaspoons garlic, vegetable broth, and water in large saucepan. Bring to simmer over high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and gently simmer 10 minutes. While broth simmers, combine mint, chives, and lemon zest in small bowl; cover and set aside.
Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into an 8-cup measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have 5 cups broth; add water as needed to measure 5 cups). Discard solids and return broth to saucepan. Cover.
You may do all of the above several hours or more in advance of your dinner and pause at this point until about 20-30 minutes prior to your planned meal service.
 |
| Julian's Strains the Cooked Vegetables - Pause Point |
Place broth over medium-low heat and cook covered. .
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add sliced leeks and pinch salt; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add asparagus pieces and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons garlic and pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining cup peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside. Wipe out pot.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add hot broth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove pot from heat, stir in lemon juice, Parmesan, half of herb mixture, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, topping with some extra Parmesan cheese and herb mixture.
