Ed’s Pasta Primavera
This pasta primavera celebrates the fresh flavors of spring with pasta tossed with tender seasonal vegetables. Flexible and easy to adapt, it’s a simple dish that works beautifully with whatever vegetables are at their peak.
Ingredients
- Fine sea salt
- 8 ounces dried campanelle, bow tie, fusilli or penne pasta
- 1 cup ½-inch diced zucchini
- 1 large tomato, diced, about 1½ cups
- ½ cup frozen or leftover corn
- ½ sweet onion, such as Vidalia, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
- 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ½ cup pitted olives, coarsely chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chives, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus additional as needed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions or to your liking. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water.
- In a large microwavable bowl combine the zucchini, tomato, corn, onion, jalapeño, garlic, olives and chives. Season with salt. Stir in the ¼ cup of cheese and ⅓ cup olive oil and mix well. Heat the mixture in the microwave on high power until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta to the bowl with the hot vegetables; toss well, adding additional cheese and loosening with the reserved pasta water, as needed. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with more chives. Serve immediately.
Notes
This is my friend Ed Giobbi’s recipe. He created this dish many years ago in New York. Ed talked about his grandmother’s recipe that tossed pasta with a salad of raw tomatoes or early spring vegetables. Now known as pasta primavera, it’s one of my favorite dishes that heralds the arrival of spring. Don’t be restricted by my recipe; include any young and abundant vegetables of the season.
