Quick Pasta Primavera
hot take girl dinner is getting a springtime refresh. The OG girl dinner is giving summer and this, well, this is for cherry blossoms in full bloom 🌸use whatever veg you have. peas, carrots, and asparagus are on rotation at Valley house atm. don’t skip the lemon and parm | happy springtime!
what you need
1 1/2-2 cups of veggies of choice, diced small
*I like carrots, frozen peas, and asparagus
1/2 shallot or 1/4 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups pasta of choice (I’ve been on this huge radiatore kick that has dominated girl dinner)
1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded finely)
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
(optional) 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
(optional) splash of half and half or heavy cream
how to make it
Method: stovetop
Set the pasta to boil according to package instructions. Don’t forget to reserve a couple splashes of pasta water!
When the pasta is al dente: in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot/onion and cook for 1 minute until it softens. Add the vegetables and sauté 2 minutes more until starting to soften. Sprinkle the garlic, lemon zest, and cherry tomatoes on top and give everything a nice stir.
Push the vegetables to the edge of the saucepan and add a couple splashes of pasta water to the pan. Stir this together with the butter to create a silky sauce in the middle of the pan. Then transfer the drained al dente pasta to the saucepan. Stir everything together.
As the pasta simmers, add the parmesan cheese to the top and the half and half, if using. Stir together until combined. Once this comes together, but before the veggies are overcooked, plate and top with additional parmesan cheese. Enjoy warm and steaming.
