Pasta Primavera
My family and I had this for dinner last night. My mother and I made it and it was splendid!
Ingredients:
* 1 oz dried morel mushrooms
* 1 1/2 cups warm water
* 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1/4 lb green beans (preferably haricots verts), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
* 3/4 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* Rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
* 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 1/2 pints grape tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 lb spaghettini (thin spaghetti)
* 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
* 2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
* 1/3 cup pine nuts (1 1/2 oz), lightly toasted
* Garnish: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
Preparation:
Prepare vegetables:
Soak morels in warm water in a small bowl 30 minutes. Lift mushrooms out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl. Pour soaking liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into a small bowl and reserve. Rinse morels thoroughly to remove grit, then squeeze dry. Discard any tough stems. Halve small morels lengthwise and quarter larger ones.
Cook asparagus and beans in a 6- to 8-quart 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 and cold water to stop cooking, reserving hot water in pot for cooking pasta. Drain cooled vegetables in a colander.
Cook 1 teaspoon garlic and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in 2 tablespoons oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, just until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add drained vegetables and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Reserve skillet.
Cook tomatoes:
Cut half of tomatoes into quarters and halve remainder lengthwise, keeping quarters and halves separate. Cook remaining teaspoon garlic and remaining rounded 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, just until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add quartered tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened, about 3 minutes. Add halved tomatoes, vinegar, and water and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and halved tomatoes are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Keep tomatoes warm.
Cook spaghettini and assemble dish:
While tomatoes are cooking, return water in pot to a boil and cook spaghettini until al dente.
Drain in a colander. Immediately add butter, cream, zest, and morels to empty pasta pot and simmer gently, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in cheese and add pasta, tossing to coat and adding as much of reserved morel soaking liquid as necessary (1/2 to 2/3 cup) to keep pasta well coated. Add green vegetables, parsley, basil, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to combine.
Serve pasta topped with tomatoes and Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings.