Mezze Maniche Primavera

Mezze Maniche Primavera is a fresh and colorful dish, ideal for the warm season when you desire something light yet flavorful. Here is the recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

  • 350 g of mezze maniche (or any short pasta of your choice)
  • 100 g of fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 fresh spring onion
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • Grated parmesan or parmesan (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by cleaning and cutting the vegetables: thinly slice the spring onion, cut the zucchini into rounds or half-moons, the cherry tomatoes in half, the carrot, and celery into small cubes.
  2. In a large pan, heat the oil and sauté the spring onion until it becomes translucent.
  3. Add the peas, carrot, and celery, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
  4. Put the zucchini in the pan and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring often.
  5. Finally, add the cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, so that the flavors mix well but the vegetables remain crunchy.
  6. Meanwhile, cook the mezze maniche in plenty of salted water following the package instructions for al dente cooking.
  7. Drain the pasta and pour it into the pan with the vegetables, increasing the flame to toss everything together for about a minute.
  8. Serve immediately, garnishing with fresh basil leaves and, if desired, a sprinkling of grated parmesan or parmesan.

You’ll notice I haven’t added any unlisted ingredients. If you would like an “Italianized” suggestion, you might enrich the dish with some shavings of salted ricotta or a touch of pesto for an additional note of freshness.

Mezze Maniche Primavera