Pasta Primavera Sauce Recipe

Bring Springtime to Dinner

Primavera is Italian for "spring". So pasta Primavera sauce should showcase the beautiful vegetables of that season.

But there's no reason why you can't make it at anytime of year with whatever is in season. I always think it should be mainly green, but you can use your own favorites.

This recipe makes great use of the asparagus that is in abundance in spring. I've always been too impatient to grow my own, so I make the most of it while it's in the supermarket in spring and cheap, crisp and bursting with goodness.

Note:

This is just the sauce recipe. You'll need to decide on the pasta you want to use with it and how much you will need. Try penne or bow shaped pasta.

The recipe will make enough for 4 people as a main course. It isn't suitable to freeze, but if you do have any leftovers take them to work for lunch the next day.

pasta primavera sauce

PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES
SERVES: 4

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely chopped.
2 zucchini (courgettes) sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler or mandolin slicer
1 bunch of asparagus (about 6 or 8 spears), chopped into 5cm pieces
1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
100g (3 or 4 ounces) of snow peas, sliced in half longways
2 very ripe tomatoes, chopped roughly
extra olive oil for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Take a heavy, large frying pan and heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic and zucchini and stir it around, cooking gently for about 3 minutes.

Add the asparagus and stock. The moisture from the stock should be sufficient to lightly cook the asparagus. It will only take 2 or 3 more minutes.

Season with the salt and pepper. Toss in the snow peas and leave it to cook for a futher minute.

That's it! Take the pan off the heat until the pasta is ready.

Once your pasta is cooked, drained and back in its cooking pot, add the primavera sauce and toss it well to combine.

Divide the pasta primavera between your serving plates. Garnish with the chopped tomatoes and drizzle with some olive oil.

Pasta Primavera Sauce: A breath of fresh Spring air any time of year.

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