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A speedier pasta primaveraA classic pasta primavera is not exactly a weeknight affair. The original New York Times recipe, created by the New York restaurant Le Cirque in the 1970s, requires 10 steps and eight different vegetables, each of which needs to be trimmed, chopped and blanched — separately! It’s a perfect dish for a fancy springtime dinner party, but definitely not for your average Tuesday. I created my version specifically for weeknights. Ready in 20 minutes, it’s filled with all the seasonal vegetables I like best: asparagus, two kinds of peas (sugar snap and English) and delicate spring onions. Instead of the usual mix of heavy cream and chicken stock, I stir in crème fraîche (or Greek yogurt) for richness and tang, and a little tarragon for a mild licorice note. It’s not traditionally Italian, but then again, neither was Le Cirque’s. And it’s just the thing when you want an easy, vegetable-filled pasta dish that’s creamy and rich. Featured Recipe Pasta Primavera With Asparagus and PeasMore food for thoughtHoney baked chicken drumsticks: Sweetened with honey and brightened with apple cider vinegar, Eric Kim’s suave and sassy recipe has the all-in-one ease of a sheet-pan dinner, except it’s baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan. This clever move slows the evaporation, resulting in a glossy sauce to coat the tender chicken and root vegetables. Baked fish with olives and ginger: This simple preparation by Yasmin Fahr is one of my favorite ways to cook mild white fish. The combination of green olives, grated ginger and thin lemon slices is magical; the mixture turns salty, spicy and citrusy as it roasts and condenses, making a snappy topping for the tender fillets. Vegetable pulao: Although Priya Krishna calls for a mix of potatoes, carrots and peas for her versatile pulao, you can make with it whatever vegetables you have on hand. Seasoned with heady, ghee-toasted spices, the vegetables become deeply flavored as they cook alongside the basmati rice in the pot. Round it out with some yogurt and Indian pickle for a cozy and colorful meatless dinner. Spicy miso lentil soup: This savory, zesty soup will cure any spring sniffles that may come your way. To keep the color of the spinach and sharpness of the miso, lime juice and ginger, Ali Slagle purées everything raw, then adds it to the cooked lentils and rice right at the end, just to warm it all up. It will clear your sinuses in the most delicious way. Browned-butter rhubarb crisp: By folding brown butter into the crumbly, almond-flecked topping, Yossy Arefi gives warm, caramel notes to this homey, fruit-filled dessert. If you’re still waiting on fresh rhubarb, the frozen stuff also works well here, bubbling into a syrup scented with orange zest and vanilla. Serve the crisp warm with vanilla ice cream, letting it melt into a pale custard to mingle with the sweet, pink juices of the rhubarb. That’s all for now, except to mention that if you’re having any technical bugs, you can email the ever-patient people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. Want to see more of our recipes in your Google search results?
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