One-Pot Pasta Primavera

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Pasta Primavera, translated as pasta with spring vegetables, is made up of a wonderful selection of fresh green vegetables and spaghetti, all swathed in a creamy, cheesy sauce. It was created in the 1970s by Sirio Maccioni, co-owner of the legendary Le Cirque restaurant in New York. Although it is now recognised as an Italian-American classic, apparently it was originally created in Canada, on Prince Edward Island to be precise.

Allegedly Maccioni was on a hunting trip with friends on PEI and, when asked to make supper that didn’t include wild boar or salmon, he cobbled this dish together after a fridge raid of vegetables. Another version claims that it was actually Maccioni’s wife, rather than Maccioni himself, who created the original dish. Either way, it achieved fame after being served at Le Cirque and there are now many, many versions and adaptations of the recipe out there.

What is the difference between this recipe and the original recipe?

The ‘original’ recipe is readily available on the net and uses asparagus, green beans, broccolini, courgettes, peas, tomatoes and mushrooms. The recipe I am sharing is all cooked in one-pot, and the vegetables I used from my fridge raid, include spring onions, asparagus, tender stem broccoli, courgettes, peas and tomatoes. This recipe is cheesy and creamy, but not excessively so. My advice would be to use your favourite vegetables and pasta and increase or decrease the cheese and cream to suit your taste. As long as you have a good selection of vegetables and they are swathed in a dreamy sauce, you have your own personal recipe for Pasta Primavera!

How to make Pasta Primavera

Collect all your ingredients together:

• pine nuts
• podded broad beans, fresh or frozen
• olive oil
• unsalted butter
• spring onions, trimmed and sliced
• garlic, peeled and crushed
• asparagus spears, woody end broken off and cut at an angle, in 1cm slices
• tender stem broccoli, florets separated, stem trimmed and cut at an angle, in 1cm slices
• courgette, trimmed, halved and sliced
• chilli flakes, optional
• cherry tomatoes, halved
• dried spaghetti (or your pasta of choice)
• boiling water
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• double/heavy cream
• parmesan cheese, finely grated
• frozen peas
• fresh basil leaves, shredded

How to make this fabulous One-Pot Pasta:

1. Select a frying/cast iron pan large enough for the spaghetti to lay flat on the base. Heat over a moderate heat and add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring regularly, for 2 – 3 minutes, until the pine nuts are lightly browned. Remove from the pan.
2. Next bring some water to the boil in the pan and, when boiling, toss in the broad beans. Simmer for 1 minute and then drain. Set the beans aside.
3. Now melt the butter with the olive oil in the pan, over a moderate heat, and add the spring onions. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring from time to time.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:
   • broad beans – remove the outer skin from the broad beans
   • garlic – peel and crush
   • asparagus spears – break off the woody end and cut, at an angle, in 1cm slices
   • tender stem broccoli – separate the florets, trim the stem and cut, at an angle, in 1cm slices
   • courgette – trim, halve and slice
   • cherry tomatoes – halve
5. Add the broad beans, garlic, asparagus, broccoli and courgette to the pan, as well as the chilli flakes, if using. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Stir from time to time.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further minute. Remove all the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
7. Next add the spaghetti, salt, pepper and boiling water to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until only 2 – 3 tablespoons pasta water remain and the pasta is nearly cooked to your liking. It should be a tiny bit too al dente! As it cooks, stir from time to time. This helps to create a thicker sauce which will cling better to the sides of the pasta. Please note:
   • If the pasta is cooked, and there is too much liquid left, boil briskly to reduce the liquid quickly.
   • If the water has disappeared and the pasta is not yet cooked, add a little more boiling water and cook until the pasta is ready.
8. Add the cream and cheese to the pan and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until the cheese has melted and a delicious cheesy sauce swathes the pasta.
9. Finally, return all the cooked vegetables to the pan, as well as the frozen peas, and heat through.
10. Stir in the shredded basil, sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately, with extra grated parmesan on the side.
11. NB If you would prefer a little extra sauce, simply add some extra cream or some boiling water.

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