primavera pasta with sea trout

sea trout with pasta primavera

I am clinging over-optimistically on to the summer-that-never-was. So much for an Indian Summer - even the plump wood pigeons plundering my garden for fruit are huddled together for warmth. Pah!

But a primavera sauce, so named for its use of young spring vegetables, can bring sunshine into even the most cantankerous of hearts, with its delicious, delicate flavour and flecked with jewels of pretty bright green colour.

While a primavera sauce is at its best made with fresh, young vegetables, this does work very well with frozen vegetables. However, if you are using older broad beans, then you will need to divest them of their tough outer skins.

Serves 4
Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
500g dried spaghetti
400g sea trout or salmon fillets, skinned
200ml hot vegetable stock
25g butter
12 x asparagus spears, trimmed
150g fresh broad beans
150g fresh peas
140g double cream
50g grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
directions:

1. Under-cook each of the vegetables separately and refresh in cold water. (This is when I find a microwave invaluable!) If the broad beans are tough, you may need to remove their tough outer skins. (Young beans can be eaten skin and all). Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, according to the packet instructions (until al dente). Drain well and return to the saucepan.
3. While the pasta is cooking, place the sea trout fillets in a large frying pan (with a lid). Pour the hot vegetable stock over the fish, bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Poach the fish (with the lid on), for about 5 minutes. You may need to turn the fish over half way through cooking. The fish is ready when it is just beginning to flake.
4. Remove the fish from the heat and strain the stock into a jug. Flake the fish into generous chunks.
5. In a clean frying pan, gently melt the butter, and then add the cooked asparagus, broad beans and peas and heat for about 2 minutes.
6. Add a little of the strained stock and the double cream. Simmer for one minute, and then check the seasoning. It may not need salt, but do add black pepper.
7. Toss the pasta with the grated cheese, then add the cream and vegetable sauce to the hot, cooked pasta.
8. Stir through the cooked sea trout and serve immediately.