Easy Pasta Primavera Recipe

Step 1

Cook your pasta in a pot of well salted boiling water according to package instructions (I tend to do 1 min under). Reserve a mug of the pasta water before draining.

Step 2

Make the cream sauce. Heat the butter on a medium heat in a saucepan and gently fry the garlic for a minute, not letting it brown.

Step 3

Add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer, adjust the heat if needed, it shouldn't be aggressively bubbling at any point.

Step 4

Add the parmesan in a few separate lots, letting each addition melt before adding the next. When the cheese has fully melted turn the heat down to low and leave on the stove, whisking every so often while you cook the vegetables. If your stove top is still quite warm on lowest setting take it off the heat altogether.

Step 5

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat and add the broccoli and beans. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.

Step 6

Add the zucchini and cook for a further 2 minutes or so. You don't want to cook the vegetables for too long, they need to retain some nice crunch and they will soften up in the sauce.

Step 7

Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low and add the cooked pasta and the cream sauce and toss well.

Step 8

Add the peas, lemon juice and 1/4 cup pasta water and let it all gently bubble away to thicken for a min or two.

Step 9

Season to taste, you might want to add a couple of big pinches of salt.

Step 10

Toss the basil leaves through at the last minute then serve with the pine nuts and lemon zest on top.