An incredibly simple and delicious recipe for one-pot pasta primavera, made with asparagus, ramps, and chives. Jump to recipe.
When you’ve got a baby in the works, you start getting lots of advice. And horror stories. Parenthood begins to seem more like a constant state of terror than the joyous formation of a new little family. It’s frightening.
But right now, as my friend Erin gets ready to make the leap into motherhood, I want to share my own advice that I hope will counterbalance some of the scary stuff. Know that you’re going to have your baby, and you’ll know and love that baby better than anyone. Always remember that you know what’s up. Your kid is yours, and your instincts should be heeded. Also, try not to sweat the tiny details. You can drive yourself mad wondering if this car seat or that one is going to keep your kid safer or if you’re putting your two year-old at a disadvantage by not signing up for Mandarin classes. In the end, these tiny details don’t really matter. It’s a long road, and saintliness only gets you so far. Hire a sitter or head out with the baby, and make time to do the things that you love most.
As you prepare to enter into this wonderful, crazy world, Erin, I wish you the very, very best. Eat well, enjoy the moment, and take care of yourself as you heal and adjust. You’re going to be great!
To celebrate Erin and her new baby, a stellar lineup of food bloggers have prepared over a dozen fast, simple vegetarian recipes. And don’t forget head over to Naturally Ella and give Erin some love!
(P.S. Check out Erin’s beautiful, useful new book, The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen, too!)
The Fauxmartha // A Pasta Dish for Busy Hands
A Couple Cooks // Breakfast Parfait with Roasted Strawberries
Edible Perspective // Avocado Pesto Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Eat This Poem // Penne with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula
Cookie and Kate // Brussels Sprouts Pizza
FoodieCrush // Beet, Avocado and Fried Goat Cheese Salad
The Bojon Gourmet // Tempeh BLTs with Avocado + Chipotle Mayonnaise
Girl Versus Dough // Spiced Lentils with Poached Eggs
Dolly and Oatmeal // Chickpea Bean Bowl with Toasted Bread Crumbs and Dill Tahini
Food Loves Writing // Erin’s Veggie Burgers
With Food + Love // Creamy Polenta with Crispy Beets
London Bakes // Ricotta Gnocchi with Wild Garlic and Pistachio Pesto
Flourishing Foodie // Glazed Tofu with Ramen
This Homemade Life // Chickpea Greek Salad
My Name is Yeh // Creamed Spinach
This one-pot pasta primavera is simple and fast, and comes together in minutes. It’s perfect for new parents, but also anyone (read: everyone) who needs a fast dinner option that also happens to be delicious. It features the very first bunches of farmer’s market asparagus, plus ramps, chives, and chive blossoms. I’ve also tried the dish with long spears of broccoli, and have to imagine it would be great with any number of spring vegetables, cut long and thin to mimic the thickness of asparagus. Same with the alliums – leeks, scapes, green garlic, or spring onions will all be great.
An incredibly simple and delicious recipe for one-pot pasta primavera, made with asparagus, ramps, and chives.
- 12 ounces linguine (select a variety that cooks for 9 - 11 minutes)
- 12 ounces asparagus (thin to medium spears), rinsed well with woody ends snapped off
- 1 yellow onion , trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 ramps , trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic , smashed and thinly sliced
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 - 2 teaspoons sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced chives and flowers
- zest of 1 lemon , plus lemon juice as needed
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This recipe is best made with a deep, wide, straight-sided skillet that accommodates the full length of linguine, but it's just fine if it doesn't.
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In your biggest deep, wide, straight-sided skillet, combine the linguine, asparagus, onion, ramps, garlic, water, and sea salt, over high heat and bring water to a rapid boil. (If your linguine doesn't fit, just wait until it's softened a bit and gently push it down.) Cook, turning ingredients frequently, for 9 - 11 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. (There will be a surprising amount of liquid up until the very end – stay strong.)
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Toss cooked pasta with lemon zest and a squeeze or two of lemon, plus lots of Parmesan. Adjust salt as needed. Finish with chives, chive flowers, and plenty of pepper.
A few notes: you'll want to use tongs to turn and flip the ingredients often as they cook. The water will seem like a little too much right up until the end of cook time, but then, like magic, it's just right.
Select a linguine (or other kind of long pasta) that cooks in 9 - 11 minutes; anything shorter may overcook.
This is the very best of advice. And that is the prettiest of pasta dishes. Teach me your plating skills.
Melissa! I’ve been working up to the a perfect pasta twirl for years! My secret here was a serving size fork – worked like magic.
Thank you SO much, Elizabeth. That advice is golden right now (because there are too many small details and I’ve already found myself starting to feel overwhelmed.) I just keep telling myself that it’s really on the job training and I’ll know what to do.
As for this recipe, it’s getting added to the binder I’m handing to my husband of meals to make. I think he will be able to nail this one (and make me one happy lady.)
Awww, Erin, you WILL know what to do. Our culture is so hysterical about motherhood, but try to tune out those voices, settle in, and find your own way to it all. And so glad to hear the recipe might work for you and your husband in those early days. Good food goes a long way to sooth the sleep deprived. Sending lots and lots of love your way! xo
Wow, this recipe looks amazing! I’ve always been intrigued by one pot pastas, but haven’t given it a try since I can’t quite reconcile how everything comes together? Your words are reassuring though, and I believe this recipe might be the one that’ll break my one pot pasta virginity 😉
Michelle, Me too! I really didn’t believe it would work. But it totally does, and even better, it’s crazy good. Let me know if you give the recipe a try!
I just LOVE your advice!! And this recipe? My goodness. Amazing + gorgeous. Thanks for being a part of Erin’s shower!
Huge thanks to *you*, Ashley! I’m so thrilled to be a part of celebrating Erin. (And anyway, unsolicited advice is kind of my thing.
I adore this recipe and its simplicity, Elizabeth. Your writing is lovely, as well. I hope to be a mama someday, and though it’s a bit (read: WAY TO) early to be bookmarking your advice, hopefully some of it will stick with me for the future.
Congratulations, Erin!!!! xo!
Ha! Yes Abby, please, save this advice for a time waaaaay in the future. In the meantime, let’s have some pasta.
This is such a cool recipe, and gorgeous to boot – spring on a plate.
Thanks Alanna! Glad you stopped by.
There are those gorgeous chives I saw on instagram! Such a great way to put them to use.
I try to limit my pasta intake, and when I do consume it, it’s generally with great quantities of cheese + tomato sauce, but I think this would be something I’d love; asparagus and the one-pot method makes this a no-brainer. I’ll give it a try!
Hi Chaya, Yes! And thanks – they’re great anywhere you might use minced onions or chives. I like your all-or-nothing pasta style!
Oh holy heck this is just beautiful and I’ve admittedly never tried a one-pot pasta. I wonder if it would work the same with gluten-free noodles. Hmmm I will try and see! As always Elizabeth, stunning everything here, xo!
Hi Sherrie, I think the water ratios may need to change up a bit, but I bet it could be great! This recipe’s so popular right now, I’m sure you could find a GF method that would work with these vegetables. Thanks for your kind words lady!
I’ve been wondering about getting on board this whole one-pot pasta train too but always worried that everything will just turn a bit mushy – your version sounds and looks brilliant though. So bright and fresh and full of flavour
Thanks Kathryn! The vegetables were definitely well-cooked, but there’s a lot of flavor throughout, even in the noodles. Honestly, I’m starting to prefer this technique to the traditional pasta plus sauce method.
Tried this one pot pasta method from Martha Stewart’ss website and was a little underwhelmed. I will give this one a try as it looks divine! 8-9 min does sound a little long for the asparagus. Any sub suggestions for the ramps?
Hi Becky, Thanks! This recipe’s definitely simple, but the flavors of the ingredients really penetrate each noodle. I’ve never tried the tomato version, but had planned to once they’re in season – I’ll be on alert for being underwhelmed.
I used very thin asparagus here, and they were decidedly limp by the end of cook time, but still nice and green and had lots of flavor. Have you read “An Everlasting Meal” by Tamar Adler? In it, she has some thoughtful writing on the occasional pleasures of well-cooked vegetables (and how much Americans have an aversion to the boiling techniques so common in England). Of course, I also love a robust stalk of asparagus – you could try adding the asparagus with just 6 – 7 minutes of cook time left, though I’m not sure how that would affect the water levels. As for ramp substitutions, the white section of leeks would work nicely. Green garlic or garlic scapes would be tasty, too.
Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your experience with the Martha Stewart recipe!
Could you tell me what is ramp ? I”m from South Florida and I have never heard of it. LOL
Hi Patty, Of course! Ramps are also known as wild leeks or wild garlic. They’re an allium that grows wild in the woods right around this time of year. But I’m not surprised you haven’t encountered them down in Florida, since they’re most abundant in the eastern part of North America from South Carolina to Canada. They have a pungent flavor, with a little more kick than a leek and a spiciness like garlic. People really freak out about them, but I think it may be because they are one of the first spring foods up here. Thanks for dropping by and asking a great question!
Here’s a little more on the topic: http://www.eater.com/2015/4/10/8384255/everything-youve-always-wanted-to-know-about-ramps
I have neevr made on pot pasta before, but you make it look so easy and gorgeous, so I am getting on board. Love you photos here!