primavera confusion!

[katygirl]

Hi all,

I want to make pasta primavera tonight. I have never made this, I know what I want to do for veggies, but I am confused about all of the sauces that CL has. There was even a new one this month! Which one do you think is best? I want my dinner to be great tonight, I feel like we have been hitting the take-out scene far too much lately. I guess it doesn't even have to be CL but I do want it to be light.

TIA

:) Katy

[chefbecky]

Hi Katy,

I just made the pasta primavera from the April issue last weekend, and it was great. The sauce came out perfectly, and didn't overpower the veggies. It was so easy -- I prepared all the ingredients ahead of time, and it really only took about 10 minutes to actually make the dish. I think you'll be happy with it.

[aggie94]

I can only comment on the April 2002 primavera recipe, because I've never made any of the others, but I agree that it was delicious. The sauce was creamy but light (meaning not too rich), and the flavor of the vegetables really came through.

[emilycat]

I *love* making pasta primavera -- it's so easy to just wing it, tossing whatever in-season veggies you're craving into the mix.
This won't be of any help if you're looking for a creamy version or an exact recipe, but here's what I do:

Saute several cloves of smashed and minced garlic in a bit of olive oil (a teaspoon to a tablespoon, depending on your preference) for about 30 seconds, and start adding vegetables, according to how quickly they cook. This week I started off with a bunch of sliced leeks and julienned carrots, followed by a pile of chopped oyster mushrooms and julienned summer squash, last I threw in a bunch of asparagus and a big handful each of chiffonade basil and chopped parsley.
When everything has softened but isn't quite done, add about 1/2 cup or more of well-seasoned vegetable broth (I use Knorr's vegetarian bouillon :o , about a tablespoon of flour, and let it simmer for about a minute. I generally sprinkle some red pepper flakes in there, too, and of course, salt to taste.
Sprinkled Parmigiano-Reggiano is certainly a lovely addition, too.

Sorry this is so inprecise, but maybe it'll give you some ideas :)

[katygirl]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was in the mood for a creamy sauce and I happened to have all the stuff for the version in CL complete. It was great! Really creamy but not the type that you eat and feel like you are going to have a heart attack. I will have to try the version in the April CL as well. Emily, your version sounds great too, I'll have to remember to make it next time. It sounds so easy!