Many years ago, when our sons were young, we took them on lots of “day trips.”
During one of our outings to Philadelphia, our plans included a quick dinner before heading to a 76ers basketball game. The chosen restaurant was in bustling South Philly, home to quite a few Italian bistros and trattorias. One of them, Ralph’s, on South 9th Street, claims to have opened in 1900 and to be the oldest Italian restaurant in America. We enjoyed it. It’s still there.
On another Philly visit, my husband found a tiny place on South Street called “Primavera.” A little research tells me that it is “permanently closed,” but I have always remembered our dinner there.
I ordered their signature dish, “Pasta Primavera,” and I delighted in every bite. It was a creamy and rich pasta loaded with spring vegetables like peas, spinach and asparagus. I’ve ordered it on several occasions over the years, but it seems to have disappeared from the menus of many Italian places in recent years.
And when the dish is found, I think pasta primavera has been “Americanized” somewhat, suffering the same fate as fettuccine Alfredo and pasta carbonara.
So, I dug into my trove of Italian cookbooks and found several versions of pasta with vegetables, which Italians call “Pasta all’ Ortolana.” They are all different but with the emphasis on spring vegetables rather than the summer stars—zucchini, eggplant and fresh tomatoes. And most do not call for a creamy sauce.
The pasta I chose to try originates in Grosseto, a region in central Tuscany. It is a wonderful way to celebrate spring before you begin meals on the grill. And it is certainly healthy—the epitome of the Mediterranean diet. It adapts beautifully to any spring vegetable substitution you might make. (Note: I eliminated the fava/lima beans and used canned artichokes rather than bothering with fresh.)
Rigatoni all’ Ortolana
Ingredients
- 4 canned artichokes (non marinated), sliced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 or 4 asparagus spears, tough ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, tough center stem removed, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup petite peas (frozen is fine)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 1/3 cups drained, canned plum tomatoes
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (cooked al dente)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- Warm the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and carrot and sauté until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the artichoke slices, asparagus, spinach, peas, water, salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the vegetable mixture uncovered and stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, and simmer uncovered until the whole vegetable mixture has thickened.
- In a large pasta serving bowl, spoon 1/3 of the sauce, add the pasta, and top with the remaining sauce.
- Grate fresh Parmesan cheese (liberally) over the whole dish and toss lightly.
- Enjoy!
Sometimes, the food we prepare reflects where we are in our life. A bubbling stew or soup on the stove can comfort us on a cold, dark winter day. Some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill can cheer us as we celebrate a blue-sky 4th of July. And a dish like pasta primavera can give us the promise of new beginnings and of sunshine in the days ahead.
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