White Bean Primavera

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated May 13, 2022

White Bean Primavera
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Victoria Granof.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(2,113)
Comments
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Pasta primavera, the creamy, vegetable-heavy pasta dish popularized in the 1980s at Le Cirque, in New York, is a little too fussy for a busy weeknight, but this reimagined white bean version comes together in less than a half-hour. The simple beans and vegetables feel fancy in their robe of cream, Parmesan, lemon juice and mustard. The dish is best with fresh spring vegetables, and it’s also very flexible: Substitute spinach for the peas, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes for the carrot, and sugar snap peas for the asparagus. Drained jarred artichoke hearts wouldn’t be out of place, either.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1medium to large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into ½-inch thick semicircles
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 8ounces asparagus (about ½ large bunch) or green beans, or a mix, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1carrot, peeled, then shaved into strips with a peeler
  • 5garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1cup fresh or frozen peas (no need to thaw)
  • 2scallions, green and white parts, sliced
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • ½teaspoon dried oregano
  • Black pepper
  • 3(15-ounce) cans butter beans or cannellini beans, drained
  • ¾cup heavy cream
  • 1tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ large lemon), plus more to taste
  • 2ounces grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
  • 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ½cup toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts
  • Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

573 calories; 30 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 984 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

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir, then cook undisturbed in an even layer until one side is golden, about 4 minutes. (It’s great if the butter browns, but decrease the heat if it threatens to get too dark.) Stir in the asparagus, carrot and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas, scallions and ½ teaspoon salt, then add the red-pepper flakes, oregano and a generous amount of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the peas are warmed through and bright green, about 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the white beans and the cream, lower the heat to medium, and let the cream come to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, Parmesan and Dijon. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of warm water to the creamy beans to loosen as you like; the sauce will thicken as it cools. (You may need more water when you reheat any leftovers.) Serve in bowls topped with the nuts and a handful of basil leaves. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,113 user ratings
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Comments

Liz

For those looking for a way to lighten the dish, I'll be making this with 3/4 cup chicken both mixed with a small puree of some of the beans, with a wedge or two of Laughing Cow cheese melted in. It will give a nod to a creamy broth with minimal fat.

LD

There are good suggestions below for people who wish to avoid or reduce cream But…. This recipe makes 4-6 servings! So 3/4 cup is around 1/8 cup per serving, which is around 10g of fat, which is less than a quarter of the recommended daily allowance. So… other than those who have a health or diet restriction or just don’t like cream, perhaps most of us can relax and enjoy the recipe!

Jenna

I am vegan, so when a recipe calls for heavy cream, I use oatly oat milk and add a bit of corn starch and microwave it to consistency of cream. Much less fat and calories and makes a lovely creamy sauce.

SK19118

Oh my gosh this is so good! And a great way to use up excess Farmers Market bounty. I made the recipe as described, using green beans. My only substitution was 1:1 sour cream & greek yogurt - because I didn't have cream and I had a lot of those. Added water/bean liquid to loosen up as needed. It's a little bit fussy to make so advise to have all ingredients prepped ahead of time. And the quantity is huge- could halve. Served with some loose pork sausage. Absolutely delicious.

Sarah Indianapolis

Delish! Halved for two and used what we had: carrot, asparagus, mush, sliced garlic, tomato, sliced onion, 1 can great northern beans. Made full sauce for half veg and was good ratio. Served with boneless pork chop, which was sad in comparison. Almost no leftover!

Holly

I really like this but the lemon doesn’t fit, in my opinion. Next time I’ll leave it out and add a bit more mustard, which was delicious.

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