Pasta Primavera
When award-winning country music superstar and best-selling cookbook author Trisha Yearwood moved to Nashville, her mom and dad would come to visit, and she would usually take them out to dinner. Her mom fell in love with Italian restaurants—and especially their pasta primavera. “We created this recipe to honor her memory and love of all the fresh veggies in pasta,” said Trisha.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (500 g) spaghetti
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pints (1 1/2 lb./750 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lb. (500 g) asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks chopped into thirds
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) vegetable stock
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup (1/4 oz./7 g) fresh basil, chiffonaded or torn into small pieces
Directions
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes more.
Add the asparagus, zucchini and stock, cover and cook until fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the carrot and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the spaghetti, cheese and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Garnish with the basil and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Trisha tip: Chiffonade is a fancy way of saying slice into thin strips. It’s a French term meaning “little ribbons.” To chiffonade basil, stack four or five leaves on top of one another. Roll them into a tight cylinder. Cut along the cylinder widthwise. Unfurl and you’ve got thin strips.
Recipe courtesy of Trisha Yearwood