Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (82 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In pasta primavera, the vegetables and pasta are tossed together in a heavy cream sauce. 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.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Campanelle is our pasta of choice in this dish, but farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes.
1¹⁄ | pounds leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, sliced ¹⁄ |
1 | pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, chopped coarse, and reserved; spears cut on bias into ¹⁄ |
2 | cups frozen peas, thawed |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
4 | cups vegetable broth |
1 | cup water |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh mint |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh chives |
¹⁄ | teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice |
6 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
1 | pound campanelle |
1 | cup dry white wine |
1 | ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¹⁄ |
1.
Bring leek greens, asparagus trimmings, 1 cup peas, half of garlic, broth, and water to simmer in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. While broth simmers, combine mint, chives, and lemon zest in bowl; set aside.
2.
Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large liquid 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.
3.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks and pinch salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 cup peas and continue to cook 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside. Wipe out pot.
4.
Heat remaining ¹⁄
4
cup oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, 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 warm broth and bring to boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in half of herb mixture, vegetables, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan and remaining herb mixture separately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
When developing our pasta primavera, we wanted to simplify the cooking process while keeping the vegetable flavors fresh. We found that it was actually fine to blanch the vegetables together rather than separately as is traditional, as long as they were put into the pot at different times to make sure each cooked properly. We also realized that we could reuse that same pot (without washing) to cook the tomatoes and mushrooms. Another staple of primavera, its cream sauce, is usually cooked separately from the mushroom and tomato sauce. Again, we found that we could simplify things and eliminate yet another cooking pan by adding the cream to the mushrooms and tomatoes.
SERVES 4 TO 6
To peel the tomatoes, dunk the cored tomatoes in a pot of boiling water until the skins split and begin to curl around the cored area, about 15 to 30 seconds; transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water, then peel off the skins with your fingers.
Salt | |
6 | ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into ³⁄ |
1 | pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on bias into ³⁄ |
1 | zucchini, cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | cup frozen peas |
6 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
8 | ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin |
1 | pound plum tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream |
1 | pound fettuccine |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | cup chopped fresh basil |
4¹⁄ | teaspoons lemon juice |
Grated Parmesan cheese |
1.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot for pasta. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large saucepan for vegetables; add 1 tablespoon salt. Fill large bowl with ice water; set aside. Add green beans to boiling water in saucepan and cook for 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Add asparagus and cook for 30 seconds. Add zucchini and cook for 30 seconds. Add peas and cook for 30 seconds. Drain vegetables and immediately plunge them into prepared ice water bath to stop cooking. Let vegetables sit until chilled, about 3 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and pepper flakes, if using, and cook until tomatoes begin to lose their shape, about 7 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, bring to simmer, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes; cover to keep warm and set aside.
3.
Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to pot and cook, stirring often, until al dente. While pasta is cooking, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add blanched vegetables and cook until heated through and infused with garlic flavor, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Meanwhile, bring tomato sauce back to simmer over medium heat.
4.
Drain pasta and return it to pot. Add tomato sauce, vegetables, basil, and lemon juice to pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Well aware that most vegetarian pasta recipes feature a flavorless, boring pile of starch, randomly studded with bland vegetables and topped with a mound of low-quality grated cheese, we set out to develop vegetarian pasta recipes with big and intense flavors that would also be easy to make. For our primary vegetable, we turned to fast-cooking, flavorful asparagus. We sautéed the asparagus to intensify its flavor and we used restraint in seasoning. A good balance of sweet, sour, and peppery ingredients allowed the asparagus flavor to shine. And rich ingredients like cheese and nuts prevented our pasta from tasting too lean—a downfall of many pasta and vegetable dishes.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Campanelle is a frilly trumpet-shaped pasta. If you cannot find it, fusilli works well. Be sure not to reduce the vinegar too much, or it will become bitter.
³⁄ | cup balsamic vinegar |
5 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths |
1 | red onion, halved and sliced thin |
Salt | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
1 | pound campanelle |
1 | cup chopped fresh basil |
2 | ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (1 cup) |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
1.
Bring vinegar to simmer in 8-inch skillet over medium heat and cook until syrupy and measures ¹⁄
4
cup, 15 to 20 minutes.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add asparagus, onion, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and cook, without stirring, until asparagus begins to brown, about 1 minute. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes longer.
3.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄
2
cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add asparagus mixture, basil, ¹⁄
2
cup Pecorino, lemon juice, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pasta and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve immediately, drizzling 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze over individual portions and passing remaining ¹⁄
2
cup Pecorino separately.