Pasta Primavera

From Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Yield: Makes 4 servings

1 8-oz package fresh crimini mushrooms, cleaned, halved and sliced

1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 lb haricots verts or very thin green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

1 leek, white part only, washed and sliced very thin

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large Roma tomatoes, diced into 1/2" cubes

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons water

1/2 lb pasta (I used my homemade fettucine)

3 T unsalted butter

2/3 cup fat free half and half (or heavy cream if you wish)

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/8 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/8 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Cook asparagus and beans in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add peas and cook until beans and asparagus are just tender, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Immediately transfer vegetables with a large slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, reserving hot water in pot for cooking pasta. Drain cooled vegetables and reserve.

In a large, heavy saute pan, melt 2 T of olive oil on medium high heat. Add minced garlic and saute until just fragrant. Do not brown. Add sliced leek and red pepper flakes and saute until leek is softened, about 3 minutes. Add crimini mushrooms and continue to saute until any moisture is released and absorbed. Add diced roma tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and water, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until tomatoes are softened, about 3 more minutes. Add green vegetables until just barely warmed and set aside while pasta cooks.

As soon as you start cooking the tomatoes, and before adding the green vegetables to the tomatoes, return water in pot to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and then drain pasta in a colander. Immediately add butter, cream, and zest to empty pasta pot and simmer gently, uncovered, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese and add pasta, tossing to coat, adding a little reserved pasta water if necessary to keep pasta well coated. Add green vegetables, basil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to combine.

Serve pasta with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and top with toasted pine nuts.