Pasta Primavera

Pasta and vegetables tossed in a tomato cream sauce with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese and garnished with toasted pine nuts.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup snow peas
1/2 cups asparagus tips
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup tiny peas
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup peeled and seeded tomato chunks
Salt
3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 pound spaghetti or fettuccine, cooked al dente
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions:

1. Steam the snow peas, asparagus, broccoli, and peas until crisp-tender. Set aside and chill until ready to assemble the dish.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and sauté the mushrooms and zucchini over medium heat until tender. Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet and sauté the tomatoes over medium heat until their liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cream into the tomatoes and set aside.
4. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan and sauté the pine nuts over low heat until they are aromatic but not brown. Set aside.
5. Add the steamed vegetables to the pan containing the mushrooms and zucchini and cook briefly until warmed through. Salt to taste.
6. Add the rest of the cream to the vegetables and heat until the cream is hot but not boiling.
7. Add the pasta to the vegetables, then the basil and Parmesan as needed. Gently stir in the tomatoes and cream mixture and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top.
8. Serve immediately as warm plates and pass around additional Parmesan at the table.

Makes 6 servings.