Saturday, May 7, 2011

Pasta Primavera or Spring in a Bowl



Do you ever just want to eat colors?  Green, orange, red, yellow...anything with all those colors has to be delicious (and probably good for you too!). The past few weeks here in Ohio have blurred together in a sea of gray, cloudy days. It's refreshing to see color anywhere, even if it's just on my cutting board. This pasta is light, full of fresh flavor, and a wonderful reminder that green grass, sunshine, and garden vegetables are just around the corner. Until then, even if it doesn't look like spring outside, it can at least look like it on your plate! 


You can easily swap in whatever veggies might be on their way to an untimely death in your produce drawer. Fresh herbs of any kind are also a wonderful addition. This pasta is very forgiving and very versatile, so just experiment to find your own favorite combo!
Pasta Primavera
Yield: Serves 8
Recipe by bakeeatrepeat.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
3 carrots cut in thin strips
2 med. zucchini or squash, thinly sliced
1 onion thinly sliced
1 green pepper thinly sliced
1 red pepper thinly sliced
1 pkg. mushrooms, thinly sclied
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon dried Italian herbs 
1 lb. bowtie pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 package cherry tomatoes
1/2-1 cup shredded parmesan

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. On two large baking sheets, toss together all the vegetables (except cherry tomatoes) with oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Arrange vegetables evenly on sheet. 
3. Bake vegetables until carrots are tender and veggies are brown, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. 
4. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving one cup of cooking liquid. 
5. In large bowl, toss together pasta and veggies. Add tomatoes, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese (I'm usually VERY generous with the cheese!). Thin with pasta water if needed. 

No comments:

Post a Comment