Italian-American · main

Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables

Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables reads umami 5.6, richness 5.3 and salinity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.6 · Richness 5.3 · Salinity 4.7 · Sweetness 4.3 · Allium 4.1 · Herbaceous 3.6 · Fruity 2.9 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Sourness 2.5 · Citrus 2.5 · Nutty 2.1 · Floral 2.0 · Earthy 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Bitterness 1.3

What's in it (15)

Time & effort: about 34 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 98.8 kcal, 3.8 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 10.2 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in 2 tsp of the salt. Add the penne and cook until al dente per package directions, about 11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden at the edges, 5-6 minutes.
  3. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the bell pepper and zucchini, and saute, stirring often, until crisp-tender and lightly browned in spots, 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add the asparagus and garlic and saute until the asparagus is bright green and just tender, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the cherry tomatoes to the cleared space, and cook until the tomatoes just begin to soften and blister, about 2 minutes, then stir everything together.
  6. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
  7. Stir in the cream and peas and simmer until the sauce lightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
  8. Reduce the heat to low, add the drained pasta and Parmesan, and toss, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed, until the sauce clings glossy to the noodles, 1-2 minutes.
  9. Remove from the heat, stir in the basil, the remaining 1 tsp salt, and the black pepper; taste and adjust seasoning, then divide among bowls and finish with extra Parmesan.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.