LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2017

springing FOR PASTA

BY CHRISTOPHER ST. ONGE  •  PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB FIOCCA

IF YOU CRAVE PASTA BUT HAVE HAD YOUR FILL OF RICH WINTRY SAUCES, THESE LIGHT RECIPES—REDOLENT WITH FRESH SPRING INGREDIENTS AND MATCHED WITH GREAT NEW WINES—OFFER THE PERFECT SOLUTION.

IF A BOWL OF PRIMAVERA doesn’t con- jure a certain kind of New World sophis- tication, you probably weren’t alive in the ’70s and ’80s. For a time, it was prob- ably the most talked about, imitated, and­ lusted-after pasta dish on the continent. Its resolutely (somewould say deliciously) bland combination of cream, butter, cheese and delicate spring vegetables was born right here in Canada but found fame in

America. Since that time, our palates have grown more adventurous and our pan- tries are more cosmopolitan than ever. It’s fitting then that primavera has found its way home for a 21st-century makeover. These five new recipes prove that pasta is nothing if not the best canvas for local, seasonal and exotic new flavours—espe- cially when paired with the newest wines at the LCBO.

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