Pasta Primavera (Lacto)

This lighter take on pasta primavera skips the butter and heavy cream entirely. Instead, evaporated skim milk creates a sauce that’s creamy enough to coat the noodles without weighing them down, and dry sherry stands in for oil or butter as the cooking liquid for the vegetables.

Five cloves of garlic, a whole onion, and half a pound of mushrooms get sauteed over high heat in sherry until softened. That sherry-mushroom combination builds a savory depth that makes up for what you lose by ditching the cream. The evaporated milk goes in next and simmers while the pasta cooks.

Bell peppers get added late, with just 5 minutes of simmering, so they keep some snap. Overcooked peppers in pasta primavera are a common miss, turning the whole dish soft and one-note.

Chef Tips

• Keep the heat high when sauteing in sherry and add more as it evaporates. You want the pan wet enough that the garlic doesn’t burn, but not so flooded that the vegetables boil.
• Don’t let the evaporated milk boil hard once it’s in the pan. A gentle simmer keeps it from breaking or getting a skin on top.
• Time your pasta so it finishes when the sauce is ready. The sauce is thin enough that it needs hot, starchy pasta to cling to properly.
• Save a splash of pasta water to thin the sauce if it reduces too much while simmering.

Variations

• Add sliced zucchini or asparagus tips with the bell peppers for more spring vegetables.
• Toss in sun-dried tomatoes for a concentrated burst of sweetness and color.
• Finish with grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.