Le Cirque’s Pasta Primavera
Updated June 11, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1bunch broccoli
- 2small zucchini, unpeeled
- 4asparagus spears
- 1½cups green beans
- Salt
- ½cup fresh or frozen peas
- ¾cup fresh or frozen pea pods
- 1tablespoon peanut, vegetable or corn oil
- 2cups thinly sliced mushrooms
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1teaspoon minced hot red or green chili, or ½ teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
- ¼cup finely chopped parsley
- 6tablespoons olive oil
- 1teaspoon minced garlic
- 3cups 1-inch tomato cubes
- 6basil leaves, chopped
- 1pound spaghetti
- 4tablespoons butter
- 2tablespoons chicken broth
- ½cup heavy cream, approximately
- ½cup grated Parmesan
- ⅓cup toasted pine nuts
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1118 calories; 61 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 114 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 1563 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Trim broccoli and break into florets. Trim off ends of the zucchini. Cut into quarters, then cut into 1-inch or slightly longer lengths (about 1½ cups). Cut each asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Trim beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Step 2
Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover until crisp but tender. Drain well, then run under cold water to chill, and drain again thoroughly. Combine the cooked vegetables in a bowl.
- Step 3
Cook the peas and pods; about 1 minute if fresh; 30 seconds if frozen. Drain, chill with cold water and drain again. Combine with the vegetables.
- Step 4
In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil and add the mushrooms. Season to taste. Cook about 2 minutes, shaking the skillet and stirring. Add the mushrooms, chili and parsley to the vegetables.
- Step 5
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook about 4 minutes. Add the basil.
- Step 6
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until heated through.
- Step 7
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until almost (but not quite) tender, retaining a slight resilience in the center. Drain well.
- Step 8
In a pot large enough to hold the spaghetti and vegetables, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Then add the chicken broth and half a cup each of cream and cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently until smooth. Add the spaghetti and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.
- Step 9
Add the remaining vegetables. If the sauce seems dry, add 3 to 4 tablespoons more cream. Add the pine nuts and give the mixture a final tossing.
- Step 10
Serve equal portions of the spaghetti mixture in hot soup or spaghetti bowls. Spoon equal amounts of the tomatoes over each serving. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
I realize that this comment is two years old, but I see this sort of thing all the time: a reader changes the recipe entirely and presents it as a comment on the recipe in the NYT. What is the point? If you have a comment on how the recipe worked for you, or a problem with it that you solved, fine. But why offer an entirely different dish as if you are commenting?
There is a shortcut I have cooked many times.The idea is to cook the veggies in the sauce starting with the one that takes the longest.You avoid the steaming steps and keep all the flavors. For example, start with sauteing onions, add broccoli, next add other firm vegetables according to cooking time, asparagus toward the end. Saute mushrooms, add them at the end because they can make the sauce muddy.It requires attention to get the veggies in at the right time but shortens the process.
I think it could be because the veggies have different cooking times. So you could start with the broccoli, add the squash in a min or 2, then the peas for the last min or so.
I was thrilled to have my home grown vegetables as the star of the show. This was fantastic. Labor intensive but worth it. If only I could make my own pasta.
I used to make the version in the Gourmet Cookbook, back when I cooked with less cream than I do now and it was such a decadent treat. I found myself thinking about the recipe and decided to see if the NYT had a version and compared it to the Gourmet version. I like the changes in this one. My only thought as we ate it tonight was it could benefit from some lemon zest at the end. I laughed and said to my boys, “maybe they didn’t cook with lemon zest in NYC in the ‘70s when this dish was invented.”
I made this as written - fussy but really delicious. I didnt do pine nuts as they are so often rancid. I need to find a better source. There’s a reason that it’s classic.