Pasta Primavera

Like fettuccine Alfredo, (and a number of other popular pasta dishes), Pasta Primavera is not a traditional Italian pasta dish. It is an American restaurant invention just slightly older than my daughter! The original recipe was "born" in 1977 at the New York restaurant Le Cirque, where it first appeared as an unlisted special before it was made famous through an article in the New York Times that included a recipe for it. That said though, the heart of many regional Italian pasta dishes include a variety of seasonal vegetables with no particular name. 

What is called Pasta Primavera, typically uses vegetables that are available fresh and in season in the springtime - Primavera, meaning Spring, in Italian. This is our version and it makes a nice light, very tasty, pasta dish. Experiment and play around with this. Include other seasonal vegetables and herbs. It's all good.

Ingredients

1/2 lb thin asparagus, cut in 2" pieces, (use just the tender top half of the spear)

1/2 medium sweet onion chopped

1 gold or red bell pepper, cut in 2" x1/2" pieces

2 medium zucchini, cut in 2" x 1/2" pieces

1 can or 1 package frozen artichoke hearts cut in quarters 

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine and divided

1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup pecorino cheese

3 tablespoons + olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

1 box fettuccine or better, fresh homemade fettuccine. It's not difficult.

Instructions

Add some olive oil to a non-stick skillet and lightly saute each vegetable separately, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Then remove to a bowl. Use the same pan. You don't want to overcook the vegetables, they should have some snap to them.

Saute them in this order -

1 - Onion and garlic

2 - Artichoke hearts - season with 1 teaspoon of the thyme

2 - Peppers

3 - Zucchini

4 - Asparagus (adding about 1/4 cup of water and letting them seam until tender, plus the lemon juice) 

Meanwhile, start the pasta water to boil and add the pasta to the water as soon as all the vegetables are done. Take out about a half cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the pasta and add to the bowl that has the cooked vegetables. Stir in the ricotta. Add some of the pasta water to thin the ricotta out. Stir everything together adding more ricotta and pasta water if needed to make a creamier sauce. Taste for seasoning.

Add the pecorino cheese and the fresh parsley and stir again.

Serve in pasta bowls and enjoy!

We had some of the Norton wine from the experimental second pressing of last Fall's grapes. It made a pretty decent dry rosé.

Pan Seared Spiced Okra with Cashews

Here is a wonderful way to prepare okra using some very aromatic spices.

   1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

   1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

   1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

   1/4 teaspoon turmeric

   Pinch of cinnamon

   1/4 cup cashews roughly chopped

   2 tablespoons vegetable oil

   1 pound small okra, halved lengthwise

   Salt

   2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, blend together the cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, cinnamon.

In a large non stick skillet (or two, if necessary) heat the oil. Add the okra, and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned, 4 minutes longer.

Stir and try to turn over as much of the okra as you can and cook over low heat until tender, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and sprinkle with the spice mixture.

Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Drizzle the lemon juice over the okra and add the cashews. Stir together and serve.