+34
Chef Julia Busuttil Nishimura shares three easy vegetarian pasta dishes perfect for spring, featuring slow-cooked tomato and ricotta, and a creamy broad bean pesto alla genovese with fresh basil and pine nuts.
Three simple vegetarian spring pasta recipes from Julia Busuttil Nishimura When I lived in Italy, I would eat versions of this pasta every week. Sometimes without ricotta, sometimes with ricotta and sausage, or ricotta and zucchini.
I love how sweet the tomatoes become when they cook ever so slowly, and almost confit in the oil. Buy the ripest and reddest tomatoes you can find. Place the olive oil, tomatoes, basil and garlic in a large frying pan, add a good pinch of salt and set over the lowest heat.
Gently cook, adding a few splashes of water to stop the sauce drying out, if needed, for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tomatoes have completely collapsed and the sauce is thick. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until just before al dente. Use a sieve to transfer the pasta directly to the sauce, reserving the pasta water.
Add the ricotta to the pasta, along with some of the reserved pasta water, and stir to incorporate. Continue cooking the pasta, adding more pasta water as needed to help loosen the sauce, until al dente. Season with salt to taste and serve topped with plenty of grated parmigiano and a generous drizzle of olive oil. This recipe is really a classic pesto alla genovese, with broad beans to give a creamy texture and flavour.
While fresh broad beans hold their shape better once cooked , frozen ones are totally acceptable too. This makes quite a bit of pesto, so you can reserve a little for another meal, if you prefer; however, I tend to use the full amount as I love the pasta well coated. Blanch the broad beans in a saucepan of boiling water. Refresh in cold water and drain.
Double-pod half the beans and set aside for serving. Reserve the single-podded beans for the pesto. For the pesto alla genovese, halve the garlic and remove the green shoot from inside, if present. Place the garlic, pine nuts, basil, cheeses and single-podded beans in a blender or food processor.
Pulse until you have a fairly smooth paste. Drizzle in the olive oil, season with salt and continue to blitz until smooth. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente.
Transfer the pasta directly to the bowl of pesto. Reserve 80ml of pasta water. Add the double-podded beans and toss to coat, adding the pasta water a little at a time to help loosen the sauce as needed. My favourite time to make this pasta is late spring and early summer when zucchini are small and slender, and sweet and tender with minimal seeds.
If you have some zucchini flowers, they are so beautiful roughly torn and stirred through at the end too. I love fusilli with this dish but casarecce or rigatoni are also lovely. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the zucchini with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to colour, about 15 minutes.
Add the garlic and basil and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low-medium. While the pasta is cooking, add a little of the pasta water to the zucchini and continue cooking until soft. Each time you add a little water, let it fully cook off and the zucchini begin to fry before adding more water.
Use a sieve to transfer the pasta directly to the zucchini, reserving the pasta water. Add the creme fraiche, butter and a good handful of grated cheese to the sauce and toss to coat. Continue to cook, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce, until the pasta is al dente.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a generous amount of cheese, a glug of extra olive oil, some extra basil leaves and zucchini flowers, if you have some.
Vegetarian Recipes Pasta Dishes Julia Busuttil Nishimura Spring Cooking Broad Bean Pesto
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brisbane Lions complete historic three-peat with Grand Final victoryFitzroy-born fans and coach Chris Fagan celebrate as the Brisbane Lions defeat Fremantle to secure their third consecutive premiership in a dramatic Grand Final win.
Read more »
Story Bridge to Close Three Weeks from December 27 for $110m ResurfacingBrisbane's Story Bridge will close to traffic from December 27 to January 18 for resurfacing, deck maintenance and waterproofing under the council's $110 million Operation Smooth program.
Read more »
Levi Ashcroft Absent from Brisbane Lions Fan Event After Premiership Three-PeatLevi Ashcroft was missing from Brisbane Lions fan celebration after their historic premiership three-peat. The young star's absence sparked chants and speculation.
Read more »
As three countries move to quit UK, a Brexit reversal might be its only hopeNew PM Andy Burnham may well promise a second referendum on EU membership to save Labour seats – and the Union itself.
Read more »