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Pasta Primavera with an Orange Twist

This is truly, truly the best Pasta Primavera you will ever eat. Light and creamy with garlic and orange to enhance the flavor of all of the vegetables, this is a dish that will take center stage at an Easter buffet or at any special dinner. If you want to substitute zucchini noodles ("Zoodles" as we like to call them), feel free. You won't be able to tell the difference if you close your eyes!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large leeks washed of all sand, well dried, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 12 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts thawed and well dried
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¾ pound asparagus about 3-4 inches long sliced on the diagonal
  • 2 zucchini spiralized and cut into 2-3 inch pieces or grated
  • 2 yellow squash spiralized and cut into 2-3 inch pieces or grated
  • ½ red pepper seeded and julienned
  • ½ yellow pepper seeded and julienned
  • 2/3 cup frozen peas

For the pasta and sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup pasta water eliminate if you are using zoodles
  • grated peel of one orange
  • 1 pound dried angel hair or spaghetti or 4-5 medium zucchini which you have "zoodled"
  • 12 basil leaves julienned right before serving
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

For the vegetables

  1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté for five minutes until they are translucent. Add the artichoke hearts, increase the heat to high and quickly stir fry the mixture until it is just brown, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Transfer the leek mixture to a bowl and set aside.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put a large bowl of ice water in the sink so you can add the vegetables once they are quickly cooked. If you are using zoodles, you should still cook the vegetables (other than the zucchini noodles) in this same way. 

  4. Put the asparagus in a large strainer which will fit inside the pot and put the strainer into the water to cook them.

  5. After one minute, add the squash and peppers and cook for one more minute. Remove all the vegetables in the strainer from the pot and dip the vegetables still in the strainer into the bowl of ice water. Drain them after one minute, dry on paper towels and set aside. 

For the pasta and sauce

  1. To the pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. In the last minute of cooking, add the frozen peas.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 of a cup of pasta water and carefully dry the pot with a paper towel (it’s hot!). Set aside. If using zoodles, you can skip this step.

  2. Melt the butter in the now -dry pasta pot over medium high heat. When it is melted add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is just translucent but not browned. Stir in the cream and add the drained vegetables, the zoodles if you are using them. the leek mixture and orange peel. Stir for about one minute until the vegetables are warm and quickly toss in the pasta and pasta water (not if you are using zoodles). Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Add the basil and toss and top with the grated cheese.