I am making plans for our vegetable garden this summer and just added all of the first farmer’s market dates to my calendar because I’m so excited for peak produce season! Once it’s spring and summer veggie time I’m so much more likely to get in my greens, whether it be grilling them up or tossing them in a bowl of pasta. This recipe is an easy weeknight-dinner version of the noodles-and-veggies classic: pasta primavera. I make quick work of it by tossing some of the vegetables (peas and asparagus) into the water to cook at the same time as the pasta, and sautéing everything else (like carrots, broccoli, squash and mushrooms) in one big pan where I make the sauce before tossing it all together. You can mix and match any of the vegetables in the recipe to customize it with your favorites, or use up leftovers in the fridge. To give it an extra fresh and bright flavor I’ve made this version with a lemon-basil twist. The citrusy zest, a final squeeze of lemon juice, and tons of fresh chopped basil really liven up the sauce and cut through the cream and parmesan that coats the fettuccini. Get the full recipe below!
- 1 lb. Fettuccini (or similar long pasta)
- ¼ Cup of Asparagus, chopped into ½” pieces
- ¼ Cup of English Peas
- 3 Tbsp. of Butter
- 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
- ½ Cup of Shredded carrots
- ½ Cup of Broccoli, chopped into small florets
- ½ Cup of Yellow Summer Squash, thinly sliced
- ½ Cup of Mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. of lemon zest, plus juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
- ½ Cup of Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Tbsp. of Fresh Basil, chopped
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta as directed to al dente. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add asparagus and peas to the boiling water to cook. Drain pasta, reserving ⅓ cup of pasta water, and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large sauté pan.
- Add minced garlic, shredded carrots, chopped broccoli and thinly sliced yellow summer squash and mushrooms to the butter. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add lemon zest, reserved pasta water, and heavy cream to the sauté pan and simmer until the liquids have warmed through and begin to thicken. Stir in Parmesan cheese to the sauce and then add the al dente cooked pasta, peas and asparagus to the pan.
- Toss to combine, squeeze half a lemon over the pasta, and season well with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a bowl and garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves before serving.
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