Food for Thought: Seasonal Recipes

By Alexa Sinatra

Food for Thought is a blog series all about Phipps sustainability efforts surrounding food! From the Edible Garden to Phipps Culinary Arts courses, there is so much to learn about the ways Phipps dishes out sustainable food practices.

Cooking with seasonal ingredients is one of the best ways to be more sustainable in the kitchen! During the springtime, seasonal produce includes asparagus, peas, strawberries, apricots, cabbage and more. If you're looking for ways to incorporate more seasonal ingredients into your meals this spring, we’ve got you covered! Read on for a wonderful recipe for springtime pasta primavera that will provide you with a delightful taste of the season!

Springtime Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. of spaghetti or other long noodle 
• 2 portabella mushrooms (sliced with stems and gills removed)  
• 1/2 lb Asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1.5 in. – 2 in. pieces) 
• 1 bunch of broccolini (trimmed) (or 2 cups broccoli florets, with stems kept as long as possible) 
• 3 cups spinach leaves 
• 4 garlic cloves (minced) 
• 2 cups (or 10 oz.) of frozen peas
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese  
• 1/4 cup fresh basil (chiffonade) 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Prep all vegetables before cooking anything. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to water and cook until al dente or according to package directions.
3. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the broccolini and asparagus and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until wilted. Add the frozen peas and sauté for 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Season with Salt and Pepper, stir. Turn the heat off and remove skillet from the burner. *It is very important to not overcook the vegetables as they will finish cooking once the heat is off and they are added to the hot pasta. 
4. Drain water from the pasta. Return pasta back to the pot and add the cooked vegetables, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Carefully fold ingredients to combine. Taste and season again with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with Basil. Serve warm with extra Parmesan cheese.

Chefs note: This recipe is very versatile; you can add any spring vegetables you desire, and you can change up the pasta variety! This recipe focuses on seasonality featuring vegetables in season during a specific month (April). Suggested veggies: carrots, peppers, onions, zucchini and yellow squash, variety of mushrooms, tomatoes. Just remember that some veggies will cook faster than others!