I LIKE TO research the recipes that I share with you each week, not only to show you where these dishes originate, but to satisfy my own curiosity.

Sometimes the backstory of some of my favourite dishes really surprise me, and Pasta Primavera is no exception.

When researching this vegetarian pasta dish, simply compromising of pasta, fresh vegetables, cream and cheese, I was fascinated to learn that – as the story goes - Pasta Primavera was first prepared in Canada.

Being such a simplistic dish, you might assume it to be an Italian classic that has been around for centuries, but that is not the case. I

discovered that New York chef Sirio Maccioni was on a trip to Canada with his wife in the 1970s, visiting Italian Baron Carlo Amato, and when their usual food delivery didn’t show up they had to improvise.

Rumour has it the chefs put their heads together, experimenting with game and fish, before the Baron decided he wanted something different for his guests.

Pasta Primavera was born, and it was such a hit that when Sirio Maccioni returned home, he decided to put it on the menu at his New York restaurant, Le Cirque.

The dish was an unlisted special at the restaurant before the New York Times ran a feature with the recipe in 1977, and that’s when it really became popular.

Simply combining pasta with cream and fresh vegetables, it is easy to see why Pasta Primavera is such a hit.

It is not only quick and simple to prepare, but it looks great, tastes delicious and it is actually much lower in calories and fat than your typical pasta dishes that contain lots of meat and cheeses.

Typically the dish calls for fresh green vegetables, like broccoli, asparagus, courgettes and peas, cream and while any type of pasta will work, the most common – and the one I have chosen for my dish – is farfalle pasta.

Farfalle itself is commonly referred to as bowtie pasta, but the word farfalle actually translates into English as butterflies, which is another easy comparison to draw given the way the pasta is shaped.

Unlike Pasta Primavera, farfalle pasta has deep Italian roots, and can be traced back to the 16th century, originating in the Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna part of Northern Italy.

One of the great things about farfalle is that, while it can be widely and cheaply bought, it is an easy pasta to try and make yourself. While a pasta machine will help, it isn’t strictly necessary for making the farfalle shape.

Pasta is made by mixing flour, eggs, olive oil and salt (the amounts vary depending on how much you are making) and to achieve the bowtie shape, simply roll the dough out flat, cut into strips and then slice the strips into rectangles.

Use pinking shears to get the ragged edge before pinching in the middle to achieve the bowtie shape.

Whether you’re making your own pasta or buying it from the supermarket, you can’t go wrong with this quick and easy vegetarian dish.