Enjoy a light and creamy pasta: pasta primavera with fresh vegetables, a silky cream sauce, and less than half the fat … what's not to love? - A Better Way to Cook

Natural Health, May-June, 2003 by Elizabeth Germain

PASTA PRIMAVERA SEEMS both enticing and healthy: Its romantic name comes from the Italian for spring and it contains a cornucopia of vegetables. But appearances can be misleading. Although pasta and vegetables have been combined for centuries in Italy, this dish originated at a well-known New York City restaurant. Like many other restaurant dishes, it requires a lot of pots and pans and can be time-consuming to prepare at home. And the vegetables in pasta primavera come at a cost; they're drenched in butter, cheese, and cream.

I set out to make an easier, lower-fat version of pasta primavera while staying true to the original idea--pasta paired with loads of fresh seasonal vegetables, each retaining its distinct taste and shape, in a flavorful, creamy sauce.

Selecting the Vegetables

The original recipe calls for modest amounts of asparagus, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, peas, snow peas, tomatoes, and zucchini. Each vegetable is cooked separately in order to preserve its flavor and texture. To simplify my recipe, I added some of the vegetables to the pasta in the last few minutes of boiling. Asparagus, green beans, summer squash, and zucchini all cooked in about the same amount of time and stayed crisp and brightly colored. The broccoli tended to fall apart and the snow peas overcooked too easily, so I left them out.

Because peas don't need much cooking, I found I could just toss them with the hot pasta. And although it wasn't in the original recipe, spinach also turns out nicely when cooked this way, so I included it in my version.

That left two vegetables from the original recipe, mushrooms and tomatoes. I cooked them in the same pot that I used for the sauce. For convenience, I bought pre-sliced mushrooms and canned diced tomatoes. The mushrooms became savory when I browned them in olive oil with garlic. The drained tomatoes provided color, flavor, and juiciness.

Creating a Creamy Sauce

I wanted to lose the fat but keep the rich flavor and creamy texture that butter, cheese, and cream give the sauce. I tried doing away with all three ingredients, but the results disappointed me. The butter was easy to leave out because it doesn't add much to the consistency of the sauce. Parmesan cheese adds flavor but would taste just as good sprinkled over the finished dish. What I missed most was the velvety quality provided by the cream. When I substituted lower-fat dairy products, like half-and-half and evaporated milk, they caused the sauce to curdle. So I combined a small amount of heavy cream with twice as much low-sodium chicken broth and simmered them together with the mushrooms and tomatoes. The chicken broth thickened as it cooked and provided body without cholesterol or fat. Using only a tablespoon and a half of cream per serving, I was able to create a rich-tasting sauce that was much lighter in texture and calories than the original.

Finding the Perfect Pasta

Although spaghetti is used in the recipe that made this dish famous, I instead chose medium-width egg noodles. They have a light texture and a buttery taste, and they're substantial enough to hold up to the abundance of vegetables and sauce. And because they're so fluffy when cooked, 12 ounces of egg noodles make six generous portions. This substitution saves significant calories over the original recipe, which uses 16 ounces of pasta to feed four people. Looking to boost the nutrition, I did try both whole-wheat and spinach noodles, but the taste, texture, and appearance of the dish suffered.

With the basics in place, I added some finishing touches to enhance the flavors in my pasta primavera. I used fresh basil, pungent chives, and a dash of hot pepper flakes in my master recipe. Parsley and saffron make interesting additions to the two variations. Citrus zest provides a bright burst of flavor to all three versions.

Classic Pasta Primavera
SERVES 6

You'll be tossing the pasta, vegetables, and
sauce in the same pot you used to cook the
pasta, so use a pot that holds at least 8 quarts.

2   teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1   8-ounce package pre-sliced
    mushrooms (about 2 1/2 cups)
3   medium garlic cloves, minced
    (about 1 tablespoon)
2   14 1/2-ounce cans diced
    tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper
    flakes (optional)
1   cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
    Salt
12  ounces medium egg noodles
1   pound asparagus spears,
    tough ends snapped off, cut
    diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces
    (about 3 cups)
2   medium zucchini (about
    3/4 pound), cut into 1/2-inch
    dice (about 3 cups)
1   6-ounce package baby spinach
    (about 8 cups, loosely packed)
1   10-ounce package frozen peas,
    thawed (about 2 cups)
2   tablespoons chopped
    fresh chives
1   tablespoon minced lemon zest
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
    leaves
    Ground black pepper
    Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in large
pot for cooking pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and
cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

3. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, red
pepper flakes, broth, and cream.

4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium,
and cook at rapid simmer, stirring occasionally,
until liquid is reduced by half,
10 to 12 minutes. Add salt to taste. Cover
sauce to keep warm.

5. Add 2 teaspoons salt and noodles to boiling
water and cook for 3 minutes. Add
asparagus and zucchini and cook until
pasta and vegetables are just al dente, 2 to
3 minutes more.

6. Drain pasta and vegetables and return
them to empty pot. Add spinach, peas, and
mushroom-tomato sauce. Toss to coat all
ingredients with sauce and to wilt spinach.

7. Stir in chives, zest, and basil, and season
with salt and pepper to taste. Serve
immediately, passing cheese at the table.

PER SERVING: 477 CALORIES, 21 G PROTEIN, 13 G FAT,
6 G SATURATED FAT, 34 MG CHOLESTEROL, 73 G CARBOHYDRATES,
9 G FIBER, 225 MG SODIUM, 13% CALCIUM