Le Cirque's Spa'tti Primavera

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli
• 2 small zucchini
• 4 asparagus spears, each about 5 inches long
• 1 ½ cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• ½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen pea pods, optional
• 1 tablespoon peanut, vegetable or corn oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• Salt and freshly grounded pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped hot, fresh, red or green chilies, or about 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 cups red, ripe tomatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped, about 1/4 cup, or about 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 pound spaghetti or spaghettini
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh or canned chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream, or more
• ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ⅔ cup pine nuts

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    785 calories; 44 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 77 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 56 milligrams cholesterol; 477 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 to 8 servings

Preparation

1. Trim broccoli and break it into bite-size florets. Set aside.
2. Trim off and discard the ends of zucchini. Do not peel the zucchini. Cut zucchini into quarters. Cut each quarter into 1-inch lengths. There should be about 1 1/2 cups, no more. Set aside.
3. Cut each asparagus spear into thirds. Set aside.
4. Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover. It is essential to cook each vegetable so that it remains crisp but tender. Cook broccoli, zucchini, asparagus and green beans about 5 minutes. Drain well, run under cold water to chill and drain. Combine in a mixing bowl.
5. Cook peas and pea pods 1 minute if fresh, 30 seconds if frozen. Drain, chill and drain again. Combine all vegetables in mixing bowl.
6. Heat oil in a skillet and add mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste, shaking the skillet and stirring. Cook about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms to the vegetables. Add chopped chilies and parsley.
7. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, all the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up the tomatoes more than necessary. Add basil, stir and set aside.
8. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and add remaining garlic along with vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, just to heat through.
9. Drop the spaghetti into boiling salted water. Cook until al dente. Drain well. Return spaghetti to pot.
10. Select utensil large enough to hold drained spaghetti and vegetables. To this, add butter. When it melts, add chicken broth, 1/2 cup cream and cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently on and off heat until smooth. Add spaghetti and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.
11. Add remaining vegetables and, if sauce seems too dry, add about 1/4 cup more cream. Sauce should not be soupy. Add pine nuts and give mixture final tossing
12. Serve equal portions of the spaghetti mixture in 4-to-8 soup or spaghetti bowls, depending on whether spaghetti is being served as main course or appetizer. Spoon equal amounts of tomatoes over each serving. Serve immediately.

45 minutes