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
- Umami & Savory — 6.3 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 5.2 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.8 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 5.9 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 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)
- penne pasta — 340 g
- salt — 15 g
- olive oil — 41 g
- yellow onion — 110 g
- garlic — 9 g
- red bell pepper — 100 g
- zucchini — 100 g
- asparagus — 227 g
- frozen peas — 237 g
- grape tomatoes — 237 g
- dry white wine — 118 g
- heavy cream — 118 g
- parmesan cheese — 114 g
- basil — 15 g
- freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
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)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the asparagus and garlic and saute until the asparagus is bright green and just tender, 2-3 minutes.
- 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.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and peas and simmer until the sauce lightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Burrata and Cherry Tomato Pasta — Italian
- Three-Cheese Baked Ziti — Italian
- Turkey Bolognese with Rigatoni — Italian-American
- Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers — Italian-American
- Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons — American
Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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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.