Pasta packed with veggies, cheese, and herbs is perfect for summer, and it’s a special treat when you make the pasta fresh – that’s what this recipe is. Fresh and SUMMER 🙂

It’s highly customizable, and for those of you out there with gluten aversions, I bet it’d be amazing with only veggie noodles or ribbons! I served this with seared scallops, a deliciously light seafood I’ve recently mastered thanks to THIS Serious Eats article – How To Sear Scallops.

The secret – dry them, salt them 15 minutes before cooking, pat them dry again, sear them in olive oil and butter for just a minute on each side, remove them from the heat, and let them finish up in the pan off the stove!

I mentioned fresh pasta. J and I pulled out all the stops the night we made the primavera.  If you know me at all, you know that I love kitchen contraptions. Here’s one of my favorites: the pasta drying rack!

You certainly do NOT need a pasta drying rack, you can spread your cut pasta out on a floured counter or parchment paper… but this is much more fun! Anyhoo, if you need a simple fresh pasta recipe, this is the no-fail one I use: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-fresh-pasta-in-the-food-processor-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189721

So for the heart of the dish, the primavera (!), you start off with a TON of vegetables. Slice them into ribbons or julienne them into matchsticks if possible.

You’ll saute these veggies in a big pan with a good helping of minced garlic, and get them all happy together (except the carrots, save those for later).

Then it’s time to make the sauce! It’s essentially just chicken stock (veggie stock would be fine too!), milk, and salt and pepper.

In go the carrots!

Wrap it all up by adding the pasta, the parm, and the parsley! Add a bunch of basil strips, and top with your perfectly seared scallops!

It’s a primavera party!

Pasta Primavera with Scallops

Serves 4.

This recipe is inspired by Ellie Krieger’s “Pasta Primavera,” which can be found here.

Ingredients:

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs butter

3 cloves minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 pound asparagus, cut lengthwise into thin strips

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 large carrot, peeled intro strips

3/4 lb fresh fettuccine pasta

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup milk

1 tbs all-purpose flour, dissolved in 3 tbs water

1/2 cup grated parmesan

2 tbs chopped parsley

1/4 cup shredded basil

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

12 large scallops

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water for your fresh pasta.
2. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, and saute the minced garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the bell pepper slices, and saute for about 3 minutes, or until soft.
4. Add the asparagus and the tomatoes, and saute for about 5 more minutes, or until soft.
5. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute more.
6. Add the chicken stock, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until the liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot ribbons.
8. Put your fresh pasta into the boiling water, salt the water, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Boil until al dente, just a few minutes.
9. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Toss the pasta into the vegetable and sauce mixture, and add a bit of pasta water if necessary to thin the sauce.
10. Garnish with the fresh parsley, parmesan, and basil. Serve with the seared scallops.

*** Dry, salt, and refrigerate your scallops right before you begin the pasta dish. Take them out, pat them dry, and sear them in 2 tbs of butter and 2 tbs of olive oil in a screaming hot pan for 1-2 mins per side while your pasta is boiling at Step 8. Take your scallops off the heat and let them finish cooking through in their hot pan while finishing up Steps 9 and 10 of the pasta dish.