Farmers Market Pasta

Posted on by

Pasta Primavera

It happens every Spring. After having spent the Winter avoiding most fresh vegetables because they’ve seemingly spent more time in transit than in some distant fields, the farmers markets open and I can barely contain myself. I go with a general idea of what I’d like to buy and return home with two bags full of produce and a loaf of bread. As I unpack Saturday’s harvest, I begin to plan my meals.

In the past, I’ve commented on a couple of blogs that I’m amazed at how we all could look at the same ingredients and “see” different dishes. Nazneen, for example, could take these ingredients and have no trouble creating a tasty pullao. BAM, on the other hand, could easily prepare a flavorful GF stir fry. Then, of course, there’s Katherine and Greg. Heaven only knows the dish they’d create but I guarantee it would be delicious and I wouldn’t be the only one to bookmark the recipe. Me? Every week I break out the flour and start making pasta. The only question in my mind is what vegetables to use for which pasta. And when all is said and done, on Thursday or Friday night, I use leftovers and whatever vegetables remain to make a fresh egg frittata. Come Saturday, with a newly cleaned-out refrigerator, I head back to the market and start the process all over again. Today’s recipe is one of these farmers market pastas.

*     *     *

Primavera is the Italian word for Spring. Pasta Primavera is a dish that celebrates the freshest of ingredients. It is a true marriage of flavors, with no single taste dominating  the rest. To dress the pasta, the “sauce” can be cream-based, oil or butter-based, and even include tomatoes. In short, a pasta primavera can be whatever you would like it to be, so long as the ingredients are fresh.

For today’s recipe, I rendered some guanciale and used the resulting fat as the base of my sauce. Since I was adding scapes, there was no need for garlic but I did add a couple dried red peperoncini to add some heat to the dish. Beyond that, fresh peas, asparagus, and a few mushrooms were added, with a splash of white wine to round out the dish. And just to make sure that they didn’t get “lost”, I grilled the scapes and asparagus spears before adding them to the pasta. Then, after adding a sprinkle of cheese, dinner was served.

And to my fellow Americans, have a happy and safe 4th of July.

*     *     *

Farmers Market Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb (340 g) cooked trenette — any “ribbon” pasta can be used
  • 6 to 9 garlic scapes
  • 9 to 12 asparagus spears
  • 3 oz (113 g) guanciale, chopped — pancetta, prosciutto, bacon, or ham can be used
  • dried peperoncini (optional)
  • 1/2 lb ( 227 g) fresh peas
  • 8 to 12 small mushrooms, halved or quartered depending upon size
  • white wine
  • salt & pepper
  • Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, for serving — Parmigiano Reggiano can be substituted.

*     *     *

100_4649

*     *     *

Directions

  1. Clean and heat the barbecue or grill pan
  2. Lightly coat scapes and asparagus with olive oil
  3. Place the scapes and asparagus atop the hot grill surface. Cook each vegetable to your liking before removing from heat. When cool, roughly chop both vegetables.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
  5. Add the guanciale to a large frying pan over med-high heat. Continue to cook until the fat has rendered and the guanciale is not quite fully cooked.
  6. Crumble the dried peperoncini by hand before adding to the pan.
  7. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a few minutes.
  8. Lower the heat to medium, add a couple of ounces of wine and the peas. Continue to sauté.
  9. Time the pasta to be just shy of al dente at about the time that the peas are cooked to your satisfaction.
  10. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the frying pan.
  11. Add the chopped scapes and asparagus, mix well, and continue to cook until the pasta has reached al dente. Add pasta water if the pan’s contents are too dry.
  12. Remove to a serving platter, garnish with grated cheese, and serve.

*     *     *

*     *     *

Notes

Be careful not to use too much guanciale. If you do, the taste will become predominant and you’ll be unable to taste much else. I’ve made that mistake and although it is still a very flavorful pasta, it’s also a waste of garlic scapes.

I like a little heat in the dish so I crumbled 2 dried peperoncini that came from the heart of Italy’s peperoncini region, Calabria. You could easily substitute red pepper flakes or skip them entirely, if you like.

Before using the scapes, I trim an inch or two off the bottom of each scape and, because they can get hard and unpalatable when grilled, I trim off each top just above the flower bulge.

I used 3/4 lbs. of trenette pasta because that’s the amount of dough I had left over when I made last week’s ravioli. Use as much, or as little, pasta as you like. The same holds true for the rest of the ingredients.

As the Summer progresses  the ingredients will change to include broccoli, chard, cauliflower, and/or whatever else catches my eye as I walk around the market. You can and should do the same with your pasta primavera.

*     *     *

A word about the pasta …

I have an attachment for my pasta machine that will cut trenette pasta. Used throughout Genoa and Liguria, trenette — not to be confused with trennette — are one of the flat, “ribbon” pastas, this one being about “a silly millimeter thinner” than linguine. Although trenette is traditionally dressed with Pesto Genovese, I like the pasta because it most closely resembles the pasta Mom & Zia cut by hand when I was a boy. I can almost hear Mom’s knife as she quickly cut the rolled sheet of pasta, sfoglia, all the while having a conversation with whomever was in the room or seated at the table. The speed of that blade was truly a marvel, at a rate easily 5 or 6 times my best. And the noodles were all uniformly cut, something I cannot do even when working at a snail’s pace. So I cheated. I bought myself a trenette pasta machine attachment — and one for Zia — and now we can enjoy a dish of pasta just like back in the day.

*     *     *

Cheaters do prosper sometimes …

When this year’s seedlings didn’t fare so well, I bought heirloom tomato plants from the farmers market. Lo and behold! For the first time in years, I’ll be eating home-grown  tomatoes, even if only the tiniest of cherries, on the 4th of July.

*     *     *

It’s déjà vu all over again …

Lucky for us, all is not vegetable at the markets. We are now in cherry season and this year I’m twice blessed. Not only are Michigan’s tart cherries hitting the markets but I’ve a friend that surprised me with enough cherries to make a fantastic pie. Now, I can eat sweet Bing cherries by the fistful but these tart red beauties are meant for pies, muffins, and jam.  Pictured on the right is a bit of the pie I made with my friend’s gift. You can see the recipe I followed by clicking HERE.

*     *     *

Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Rack of Spring Lamb

*     *     *

213 thoughts on “Farmers Market Pasta”

  1. am with you that farmers’ markets are just about the best thing ever. Especially in mostly cold climes such as Chicago and MN. You work wonders with your veggies and good point that different cooks will see different dishes in the same ingredients. The pie looks wonderful and oh, the lamb! Good stuff, John.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks, Liz. I haven’t the space for a large garden and rely on several containers for a few things.The farmers markets are the next best thing. Too bad they’re open for such a short period of time, as you very well know.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  2. I love pasta primavera, John, and your version looks great. Our minds seem to have been synched again with both of us blogging about trenette in the same week. I’d never heard of scapes before and I can’t find a Dutch term for them.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I got a chuckle when I read your post, Stefan. It’s bound to happen. I only started noticing scapes a few years ago. I think their popularity is based upon the food shows use of them. I hope to find more this weekend. I want to experiment with them and I’m running out of time. Their season is so short.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  3. I do love pasta primavera but it does always remind me of that Seinfeld episode. I love your enthusiasm for all the new produce. I think the end of winter and the leap into the new season always does give us new energy – love how you’re channeling that into the kitchen xx

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks, Charlie, and you’re right. After our Winters, seeing fresh produce at the farmers markets is really a thrill. My car is in repair but that wasn’t going to prevent me from going to the market on Saturday. It took over an hour via public transportation but I got there!!! Recipes are forthcoming …

      Like

      Reply ↓

  6. What a beautiful pasta dish John! I just love scapes but limit their use to potatoes and scapes on the barbie. What a great idea to use it in pasta! I will definitely be giving this a try seeing as I have 2 bunches of scapes in the fridge. You’ve also taught me a new word for these little babies…here, we call them garlic shoots. Thanks for a lovely recipe John!

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you, Lidia for the nice compliment. With these fresh vegetables, I was afraid that a couple cloves of garlic might overpower them all. Mild-flavored scapes kept things in balance. I still want to find other ways to use them. I better hurry, though, Their season is rapidly coming to a close around here.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  8. Ooooh, this is a great, savory dish, John: being Genovese myself, of course I love trenette, and guanciale is just delicious and adds so much flavor in itself! As I mentioned before, I found that way too often in the US restaurants tend to add way too much garlic to their pasta dishes, probably in an effort to give them enough flavor. As you know, and as you suggest in this dish, in Italy this is not the case as you generally resort to other factors, such as the meats as tasty as guanciale or even fresh, flavorful veggies when in season. Once again, I love how you create your dishes without departing from the base principles of authentic Italian cuisine!

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you, Stefano. Those are some wonderful complements and I very much appreciate them. We are in total agrement about the “secret” behind Italian cooking being the freshest of ingredients. As a boy, I often accompanied Dad as he shopped for vegetables on Sunday mornings. He never bought something unless it was in season. Not a bad example to follow. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  9. At the risk of sounding like a hick, I have never seen nor heard of scape in my life. I just did an online search and lo & behold, a whole new world has opened to me. LOOK at all the things you can do with it! See what an important public service you provide here?

    Your pasta looks fabulous. I have to say that reading your blog has made me a more adventurous cook…and a bit of a heavier one at that, I might add.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • You’re hardly a hick and you’re not alone. In hindsight, I should have at least put a link in the post. ANd yes, that’s me. Public Servant!!! 🙂
      Not having anyone dependent upon me for meals, I can be as adventurous as I want. No matter how bad my experiment may be, I’ve got a dog who will eat it and a passable meal is just a phone call away. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  10. While it doesn’t seem like it was or ever will be Spring here in Calgary.. it is definitely Spring here in the Bartolini Kitchens!! As soon as I opened your post.. the colors just sprang up and sent such joy onto my little computer screen. I was too lazy to make supper tonight.. scraping by with bits of cheese and crackers.. and I could now almost inhale this beautiful Pasta Primavera! Thank you for making my day!! I love that you bought Zia the attachment.. you’re so thoughtful and loving! I know she’ll get a real kick out of using it! Happy Spring!!

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • You guys have had such terrible weather! “Epic” comes to mind. I think it wonderful, however, the way your community has responded. There’s the silver lining in the cloud and you all should be proud.
      What I’ve learned, Barb, is not to carry a shopping list to the farmers market. I take a walk around the place, decide what’s freshest and who’s selling it, and then take another walk and fill my shopping bags. Back at home, if not that night, certainly within 2, I’ll be making some sort of pasta. You just can’t beat a dish of pasta with really fresh ingredients.
      Zia doesn’t make as much pasta as she once did. Though she still does, most often I make plenty when I visit and she stores it away. Her having her own trenette cutter means I’ve one less piece of equipment to bring with me. 😉

      Like

      Reply ↓

  11. John, I Love the idea of grilling scapes. I just cut a bunch off my plants. A few years ago they went straight to the compost bin. Now they’re chic eats. My garden is lush. Looks like a bumper crop of basil this year. Do you have an easy foolproof recipe for making basil oil?
    Toni

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks, Toni. Once the food shows “discover” something, it becomes hard to find and 3 times as expensive. Never fails.
      Sorry to say, I’ve never made basil oil. When I have a great deal of basil, I’ll load it into the food processor as if I’m making pesto. I won’t add any cheese and use only a little bit of olive oil. I find the cheese won’t thaw very well and I can make up for the oil by adding some to the pasta later on. Once everything is chopped, I use it to fill ice cube trays. When frozen, I store the cubes in plastic bags in my freezer. When it’s time to use it, I either thaw a cube or two on the counter or add it frozen to the hot pasta. Add a little cheese and more olive oil and dinner is served. I hope this helps, Toni. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  12. OMG, pasta primavera, yummy!!! I have an Italian friend here in Moscow, who’s been promising to make some mean pasta… Now that i think of it, i just might sent them a ‘reminder’ in the form of this divine recipe of yours! 😉

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I’m with Tony, April, and that’s how I prepare my pasta through the colder months. Once the weather turns warmer, though, I go with an olive oil-based sauce and plenty of vegetables. Our farmers markets aren’t open for long and I try to take advantage.

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • Thank you, Tanya, that was a nice thing to say. It took me years to find guanciale and I’ve yet to find one that’s imported. Now that I’ve found it, I’m going a little overboard, using it wherever I can. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  16. I have never used garlic scapes before! I need to find out if these are available in Italy! I love the grilling of vegetabbles since it keeps them crispy, in contrast of the softness of pasta. The addition of pancetta gives that fatty touch much needed to complement the freshness of veggies, and that peperoncino -as we say in Rome – e’ la morte sua (referring as the best way to cook something by pairing the right ingredients)

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you so much, Ambrosiana. I walk around the farmers market and get inspired. I learned watching my Dad select only in-season vegetables and nothing more. As I’m sure you know, if you’ve got fresh vegetables, it is very easy to create a pasta. I’ll be visiting Zia next week and will show her “e’ la morte sua.” I wonder if she knows the expression. Well, she will next week, that’s for sure.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  17. There is a major difference in the taste, when we use fresh ingredients in any recipe and that’s why your recipe appeals to me a lot! I loved the fact that you used garlic scapes in this pasta dish… Guanciale is something I would need to figure out, though.

    Same here…whenever I see fresh produce in the market, I end up buying a lot of them. It makes me feel happy!

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you so much. We certainly do agree on fresh ingredients and the markets. 🙂
      Guanciale is cured pork that comes from the jowls of the pig. It isn’t all that common, unless you have a good Italian market in which to shop. Before I located guanciale, I substituted pancetta. If you do not eat meat or pork products, sorry to say that I really do not know of a substitute.

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • Thank you. If you like homemade pastas, I’ve quite a few dishes using them and a few posts demonstrating how to make them. Take this LINK to see some of those posts listed. If you’ve any questions. I’m nere to answer them as best I can.
      Thanks for the visit and for taking the time to leave a comment.

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • You’re so right, Karen. Last Saturday, with my car in the shop, I had to rely on public transit to get out to Evanston. I was only going to buy a couple of things. I ended up with 2 full shopping bags and a plant, riding the trains and bus!
      I did enjoy the holiday and hope you did, too, though, if you were in Maine, that’s pretty much a given. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  21. Hi John, you are in good company with the “cheating” I ended up buying various plants this year after seedling failures – well ok it was actually human failure not to let the seedlings FRY in the greenhouse, unwatered and unloved. I just call it practical as opposed to cheating 🙂

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • To be honest, Claire, I think I’m through with trying start my own seedlings. My garden is really quite small and consists now of 6 containers. WIth very poor natural light in my home, I just don’t think it worth buying a light system — and my current make-shift measures clearly aren’t working. I bought some wonderful heirloom plants at the farmers market and my garden is doing well. I hesitate to say too much because the last few years, some calamity has struck mid-season that terribly impacted my “harvest.” Fingers crossed for this season.

      Like

      Reply ↓

        • I agree whole-heartedly. Last Summer in the middle of that horrific heatwave, I discovered that 2 of the containers had hairline cracks about 3 inches under the soil level. The result was that no matter how much I watered, the tomatoes’ roots were dry and the plants withered. I threw them out in mid-July. This year I’ve new containers and hope springs eternal! 🙂

          Like

          Reply ↓

  23. I was at the farmers market last weekend and garlic scapes were everywhere. I have now learnt another vocabulary from you “Primavera”, thanks for that. I shall be asking my Italian neighbours next spring how goes their Primavera! You know what I love about your recipes? they are always so simple and straightforward and well narrated with clear instructions. One of these fine days I’m going to surprise you, by making one of these elegant recipes of yours. I haven’t forgotten the Egg Frittata either, it’s still fresh in my mind, I am usually slow, but sure. And I like the way you have a methodical way of clearing your fridge at the end of every week. I should borrow that and stick to it. It’s a good habit. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. The real art of good cooking is balancing flavours; I fully agree on that one. Thanks for visiting my blog, enjoy the week and best wishes to your family.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks you for the lovely comment and well wishes. I’ll be leaving later in the week and will be sure to pass them along to Zia. I’ll be leaving to visit her in a few days and she’ll be touched by your sentiments. I’m envious of your scapes. They’re gone from our markets now. The wonderful thing about the internet is that the recipes will be here whenever you’re ready. And I’ll be here, too, to answer any questions.
      Thanks, Liz, for always being so complimentary and supportive.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  24. Fresh asparagus! Garlic scapes! It all looks so green and summery! I’m so pleased you have regular guanciale to use – we buy it all the time now, thanks to your inspiration – and we only ever need 100g (about 3oz) to flavour a dinner for four! It’s amazing how much flavour it carries! 🙂

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks, Celia. With our Winters so severe, it really is a treat to walk around a farmers market again. It’s a treat to come home and make a pasta with purchases. You’re right about the guanciale. it doesn’t take much to add a nice flavor to a dish. I love it! 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • Thank you, Mary Frances. I really do enjoy going to the market every week and, far too often, some sort of pasta results. Thank goodness there are no shopping carts and I have to carry my purchases. There’d be no stopping me otherwise. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  26. Pingback: Cooking: Keep It Interesting | DragonMommie's World

  27. Pingback: Photos of My Gardens & The Unexpected Perks of Being a Blogger !! | My Yellow Farmhouse

  28. This is the first year I had a nice big garlic harvest in my garden, and I’m wishing I had known about this recipe for using the scapes! I’ll have to bookmark it for next year – what a delightful looking dish.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you so much. Congratulations on your harvest! I envy all of you with your garlic beds. I just don’t have the room for them or else I’d definitely plant my own. It’s not like I haven’t any use for it. 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓

  29. Pingback: Dried Allium Inside a Glass Globe | Ruth E Hendricks Photography

Leave a reply to Lisa the Gourmet Wog Cancel reply