Primavera - Lighter - ATK

By mariannefeldman

Spring Vegetable Pasta
From America's Test Kitchen Season 12: Pasta, Please
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=27843&extcode=N00SPFA00


WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In pasta primavera, the vegetables and pasta are tossed together in a cream sauce made with broth and heavy cream. We love this classic, but sometimes we want a lighter, brighter version—one with a creamy sauce, but without the cream. As for the vegetables, we wanted true spring vegetables. To start, we chose asparagus and green peas, adding chives for bite and garlic and leeks for depth and sweetness. For a deeply flavored sauce that would unify the pasta and vegetables, we borrowed a technique from risotto, lightly toasting the pasta in olive oil before cooking it in broth and white wine. The sauce flavored the pasta as it cooked while the pasta added starch to the sauce, thickening it without the need for heavy cream. This nontraditional approach gave us a light but creamy sauce with sweet, grassy flavors that paired perfectly with the vegetables for a dish that truly tasted like spring. (less)

Serves 4 to 6
For tips on trimming asparagus, see related tip. Campanelle is our pasta of choice in this dish, but farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes.

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 3 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 5 cups); 3 cups roughly chopped dark green parts reserved
• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off, chopped coarsely, and reserved; spears cut on bias into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
• 2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest plus 2 tablespoons juice from 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 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
• Ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place dark green leek trimmings, asparagus 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; set aside.

2. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into 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 and keep warm over low heat.

3. 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.

4. Heat remaining 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.

5. When wine is fully absorbed, 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.

6. Remove pot from heat, stir in lemon juice, Parmesan, half of herb mixture, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan cheese and remaining herb mixture separately.

TECHNIQUE
FOR BETTER FLAVOR, COOK PASTA LIKE RISOTTO
To deepen the overall flavor of our Spring Vegetable Pasta and add body to the sauce, we cooked the pasta like rice.


1. TOAST PASTA Sautéing the raw pasta in oil, as you would raw rice for risotto, gives it a golden brown color and nutty, rich flavor.