“I use just enough cream to coat the vegetables but not bury them. You wouldn’t want spring to get buried in snow, so don’t let the cream overpower your veggies!”
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium head broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound bucatini
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup baby spinach, stemmed
- 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Blanch the broccoli: Fill a medium bowl halfway with ice water and immerse a colander inside it. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add a generous amount of salt. Add the broccoli florets to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and transfer to the colander to cool in the ice water. Drain and pat dry to remove the excess moisture.
- Make the sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil, onion and carrots with the red pepper flakes, sugar and 2 tablespoons cool water. Season generously with salt and cook until the onion becomes translucent and the carrots are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the heavy cream and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
- Cook the pasta: Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add a generous amount of salt. (The pasta water should taste like seawater.) Add the bucatini and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, then drain the pasta and set aside in the colander until the sauce is finished; reserve a little of the pasta cooking water.
- Finish the dish: Add the broccoli to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Toss the pasta with the sauce, then stir in the vinegar, peas and spinach and let it rest off the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Thin the sauce with some of the reserved pasta cooking water, if needed. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 565 |
| Total Fat | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 76 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 56 mg |
| Sodium | 808 mg |
Reviews
This recipe is a keeper! Even my picky wife loved it. Like the vegetables … and I can think of options with seasonal veggies.