Put Some Primavera in Your Pasta
Dried herbs from master forager Beatrice Calia’s table, are great to use in a sugo like that of pasta primavera.
With spring upon us, we’ve been enouraging you to enjoy the fresh outdoors with our recent series about wild food forager Beatrice Calia in Italy. We have learned about her work, interviewed her about foraging for the kitchen, shared her recipe for using foraged nettles to make a delicious green pasta, and documented her favorite herbs and plants in a handy glossary.
Soon it will be time to pick fresh vegetables from our backyards and farmers markets. We’re a step ahead to get you ready to prepare a delicious dish from the bounty that will be arriving later this spring and this summer. One of the first dishes that came to mind is a perfect pasta for vegetarian night, or Pasta Primavera. Let’s explore how to make a great pasta primavera and what wine will pair the best with it below!
Pasta Primavera: Add a Healthy Spring to Your Step
Primavera in Italian translates to ‘spring’ but literally means the first splendor. It’s a wakening of new life, giving energy to the earth and our souls. Pasta primavera got its name as an inspiration from the bounty that nature provides, especially with regards to vegetables, and herbs too, that are readily available in the spring, and into summer as well, where you can find the most traditional vegetables used for this vegetarian sugo (aka pasta sauce).
However, don’t think that just because of the name this dish is limited to be served only in the springtime… Because pasta primavera is a light and healthful dish, it is ideal for any warm weather, even into the summer where maybe vegetables can change a little for some extra variation.
A plate of pasta primavera, ready to enjoy with a glass of white wine like sauvignon blanc.
Originally, some pasta primavera recipes in America make use of butter, milk, cream, and/or a sort of alfredo style sauce. However, in Italy and an authentic Italian restaurant olive oil is used in the place of butter, and starchy pasta water and grated parmesan is used to make a creamy sort of sauce in place of milk or cream for a lighter and more ‘healthy’ version.
Pasta primavera with vegetables is a great way to not only practice kitchen experimentation, but also make sure you get your daily dose of veggies in. As it is basically a vegetarian ragu, it can be altered to your preferences by using different kinds of pasta and vegetables, in fact, by using olive oil and non-egg based pasta, you can call this pasta primavera vegan. While you can experiment with several pasta varieties, such as spaghetti, fusili, bow-ties, or fettuccine, we recommend trying to make your own at home with one of our previous homemade pasta recipes like the super fine Piedmontese Tajarin, the fettucine like Lasangette, or the foraged Green Nettle Pasta.
We do have to say, our favorite part of this recipe is its versatility. There are so many ways to make it delicious… all depending on what vegetables are your favorites, that you have in your garden, or find fresh at the farmer’s market. In our recipe below, we recommend starting with a base of onions, garlic, and various herbs, then mix and match the vegetables as needed and desired. Our Vero Chef Jacqueline Mitchell says ‘You can really use any vegetables you want; my favorites are carrots, bell peppers, asparagus, and zucchini. I also really like to add my cherry tomatoes at the very end, right before serving. This keeps them fresh and crunchy. Regarding vegetable selection, if you want, you can think about aestetics and your plating by choosing a variety of colored vegetables, like making sure to have one orange (like carrots), one red (like tomatoes), one green (like zucchini), and one yellow (like a yellow bell pepper). This creates a brightly colored dish that is sure to catch anyone’s eye!’
Sauvignon blanc grapes from the Austrian vineyards of Michi Lorenz.
Time for Pairing Wine and Food
So… You’re getting ready to sit down and enjoy your meal… but what to put in your glass? There are several ways you could go with food and wine pairings like this. We recommend picking out a sauvignon blanc white wine.
Why sauvignon blanc? We have previously taken a deep dive into this unique white wine grape, including why it pairs great with food, as the fresh vegetables in the dish are complemented by the wine's crisp acidity and citrus notes, and the wine’s herbaceous characteristics can create a delightful food pairing.
To go with your pasta primavera, Vero has several wines to try out and, like with your experimentation finding your favorite version of the dish, find your favorite food pairing with Sauvignon blanc. We have Sauvignon blanc wines from not just one, but from three wineries in three different countries! We can start from Vigna Petrussa in north eastern Italy in Friuli Venezia Giulia with their elegant sauvignon blanc.
In the Czech Republic, Thaya in South Moravia crafts a sauvignon blanc wine that is really intriguing, from it’s coffee roasting notes in the bouquet to the poblano chilis and grapfruit pith on the palate. Aged in oak and fermented with native yeasts, this natural wine adds more body and fullness to the pairing, better when using richer vegetables like asparagus in your pasta primavera.
For our third and final winery, we find Michi Lorenz in the South Styria region of Austria. This area, also known as the Südsteiermark, is reknowned for having some of the best sauvignon blancs in the world, so no wonder winemaker Michi makes three different iterations of this white wine! In his Klassik you find a, well as the name suggests, classic green and fruity white wine. Fresh and citrusy, this natural wine is great start to tasting Michi’s wines. Moving on to Schist Happens (named for the limestone soil where the vines grow), we find a natural wine with many more mineral characteristics and is truly singular in as of it is an artful blend of different harvests, years, and sauvignon blanc wines. Lastly from Michi, we have his Halo Orange Wine, a sauvignon blanc with extended lee contact. The native yeast fermentation here comes out with a lovely nose and ‘meaty’ wine that is a mandarin orange color.
So, pick your sauvignon blanc (or choose our Sauvignon Blanc Explorer Set and compare and contrast several with shipping included for your entire order!), and order wine online from our VeroShop.
As well, check out this Wednesday April 19th at 3pm ET / 12pm PT our virtual VeroTalk with sauvignon blanc winemaker Michi Lorenz! Check out the event page for all the information, and maybe make a plate of pasta primavera to enjoy while sipping some sauvignon blanc along with Michi.
Pasta Primavera - Spring and Summertime Pasta
Cooking and Prep Time: 1 Hour
Portions: Approx. 2-4 portions
Ingredients:
1 Onion, chopped or thinly sliced
1 Garlic clove, chopped
5-6 leaves fresh Basil, chopped
Dash Oregano
Salt/Pepper, to taste
Pick any combination of vegetables from the
following (we recommend at least three: 1 red, 1
green, and 1 yellow/orange):
1-2 Zucchini, deseeded and cubed
1/2 bunch Asparagus, tips whole & stalks in rounds
1 cup Broccoli Florets
1/2 cup Peas
1/2 cup Chopped Spinach
1 Bell Pepper (any color), cubed
1 large Tomato or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cubed or
halved
1-2 Yellow Summer Squash, deseeded, cubed
2-3 Carrots, peeled and cubed
To Serve:
Tajarin, Lasangette, or Green Nettle Pasta
Grated Parmesan, if desired
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Febo, Aurinia, or Caletra)
Suggested Wine Pairings:
- Michi Lorenz | Sauvignon Blanc Klassik | Natural Wine | Organic Biodynamic
- Michi Lorenz | Schist Happens Sauvignon Blanc | Natural Wine | Organic Biodynamic
- Michi Lorenz | Halo Sauvignon Blanc | Natural Wine | Skin Contact Orange | Organic Biodynamic Single Vineyard
- Thaya | Sauvignon Blanc | Natural Wine | Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard
- Vigna Petrussa | Sauvignon Blanc
Procedure:
1. Start by selecting and prepping your chosen vegetables. Set them aside and begin to gently sauté the onions until translucent and soft. Add the chopped garlic and when soft, but not browned. Then, begin to add your selected vegetables. Depending on your selection your order may vary, but start first with the ‘hardest’ vegetables like carrots, and add progressively ‘softer’ vegetables, arriving at the zucchini and summer squash towards the end. Keep any tomato cubes or cherry tomatoes for last, or even the very end just before serving.
2. While your vegetables cook, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook your pasta of choice as necessary. When draining, keep the liquid to help make a creamy primavera sauce. Mix some olive oil into your pasta so it doesn’t stick together and set aside.
3. When your vegetables are almost cooked to your preference (we prefer starting to soften, but still have a little crunch to them so they are not mushy), begin to add a few spoons of pasta water, stirring constantly until the vegetables are cooked. Add your basil, oregano if desired, and salt and pepper to your taste. If you kept your tomatoes aside for the very end, add them now.
4. Lastly, add in your pasta to the vegetables and stir well to mix it all together. Serve with grated parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top and pair with a glass of fresh sauvignon blanc.
What Wine to Pair?
Coming from an area known for some of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the world, in the Südsteiermark subzone of in the South Styria of Austria, at 400m altitude with hand picked harvesting, this lemon yellow color sauvignon blanc has an intense bouquet of lemon, lemongrass and flint. It has citrus and apple flavors with a hint of lemongrass. It has great acidity and a long, sapid finish. Soils are red schist and loam. After 24 hours of skin maceration, the fruit was fermented with native yeast and aged in stainless steel. Minimal sulfur additions.
This unfiltered sauvignon blanc natural wine is playfully named after the limestone, mineral-rich soil where it was cultivated. It’s from the Sudsteiermark, or South Styria, Austria, known for some of the best sauvignon blanc in the world. It has a bright lemon yellow color with an intense reductive nose that has curious complex aromas that develop more once it breaths, such as tropical fruit aromas. The taste has a 'wow' factor with racy, prickly acidity, really nice texture a VERY long mineral finish. Think of what it’s like to lick a rock - this is it! This is your ‘atypical’ Sauvignon blanc, made from a mix of 9 different Michi Lorenz’s estate vineyards, some early, mid and late harvests, and across 4 different vintages using the complex solaris method. A real one-of-a-kind sauvignon blanc.
A natural, and certified organic and biodynamic wine made with native yeast fermentation.
Cloudy mandarin orange color late harvest Sauvignon Blanc natural wine from one the best places in the world for Sauvignon Blanc leads to a saline and yeasty nose with a bit of lemongrass notes. It has laser-like, linear acidity and is super tasty, with great fruit and salinity. It is a 'meaty' orange wine with nice mouthfeel and slight tannins. This Sauvignon Blanc is from the Sudsteiermark region of Austria in South Styria.
This skin-contact orange wine is crafted with native yeast fermentation by certified organic and biodynamic Austrian winery Michi Lorenz.
From the Thaya estate winery in the Czech Republic, sipping this late harvest sauvignon blanc is like having a lemon creamsicle as a white wine.
It has an intriguing nose, floral, with cape gooseberry fruit and lemongrass, thanks to aging in french oak barrels for 12 months, of which 20% is new oak. It has great acidity with flavors of lemon and poblano chiles mixed in with a creamy taste and mouthfeel and a long, saline finish.
Straw yellow with bright green hues, lingering and vibrant bouquet recalling white peach, sage and tomato leaf. Ian D'Agata who cites Vigna Petrussa as ‘one of the best estates in Italy’ describes this wine as ' a less overtly green Sauvignon Blanc than most people are accustomed too, but offers plenty of refinement and sneaky concentration.'
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.
Try Sauvignon Blanc like you never had before in this exclusive 3 pack gift set of unique farm-to-glass Sauvignon Blanc wines.
This wine gift basket includes Sauvignon Blancs from South Styria, Austria, one of the best place in the world for Sauvignon Blanc:
and a non vintage Sauvignon Blanc made with the solaris method and coming from 9 different vineyards and 4 vintages, a nothing added natural wine.
Both show the winegrower/maker, Michi Lorenz'prowess in crafting an amazingly complex natural wines;
- and it includes a Sauvignon Blanc from the Czech Republic.
This gift set is made for a Sauvignon Blanc lover: it's a great way to discover different styles of Sauvignon Blanc!
Shipping is included in the Continental US, so add-on other great Sauvignon Blancs, like this one from women-owned Vigna Petrussa in Friuli, Northern Italy.
From the hills of Abruzzo near the Adriatic Coast of Italy, comes this Organic EVOO, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, farmed and made by the Febo family. Farmed sustainably and organic, this natural extra virgin olive oil is also vegan and, like all evoos, a first run - cold press olive oil, the best kind of olive oil for you.
The 2024 harvest is still made from a blend of olives like leccino and 500 year old trees, but now it is mostly the dritta cultivar.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic
Fun Facts: The dritta cultivar is a rare one being saved by Davide Febo who is trying to save and rehabilitate it.
This is a woman made, limited production first cold press organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Maremma hills of Tuscany made from a blend of four Tuscan cultivars. Buttery deliciousness with a bitter kick at the end, thanks to its polyphenols. It has won gold medals in a competition which judges the best extra virgin organic olive oils from around the world.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino
Fun Facts: The natural farming method that produced this extra virgin olive oil, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
A prestigious first cold press monocultivar organic extra virgin olive oil from the Maremma hils of Tuscany which has won best organic extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany! Its polyphenols which are used to determine how good an olive oil is, are exceptionally high!
Top awards include extra gold, as best Tuscan organic EVOO by Biol Novello which evaluates the best olive oils in the world. In the past this olive oil has also won Best in Italy, as well as Gambero Rosso 3 leaves (their highest rating).
Its aromas of grass, green pepper and mint lead to an intense hot pepper taste and a long finish with black pepper lingering in your mouth. Even just a little drizzled over a simple lettuce salad will bring it to life with flavor.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino
Fun Facts: The natural farming method that produced this extra virgin olive oil, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
