Pasta Friday?
How about pasta everyday. I love it so much – it’s my favorite meal. I was recently asked what my last meal on Earth would be and I said lasagna with a side salad, glass of pinto noir, and banana cream pie. It’s the perfect meal!
We made it back to Illinois from Iowa on Monday night and we were hangry, I mean… hungry. Having been gone all weekend, I didn’t have any plans or many ingredients to whip something up. Have no worries my friends, I always keep a few staple items in my house just in case this happens. đŸ™‚ I always have pasta, canned tomatoes, garlic, spices, and a few veggies in the refrigerator so I whipped up what is called Pasta Primavera! It took me about 15 minutes to make, was healthy and filling, and made us happy again. One of my Facebook followers asked for the recipe so I decided to make it again just last night. I changed it up just a bit to make it heartier for ya!
I’m a whole wheat pasta type of gal. Always have been and probably always will be. Trust me, I adore the white stuff, but in my house, I like to use whole wheat on the week days. I almost always use Delallo Pasta because I truly love the product. It’s organic, whole wheat, and hearty. Done and Done.
Primavera means Spring in Italian so Pasta Primavera is simply pasta with Spring vegetables. It’s a lovely dish I tell ya. You can use whatever veggies you like. I used broccoli, green pepper, red pepper, zucchini, carrot, and red onion. Ain’t they puuuurdy?
Saute those up with garlic, add some tomatoes, spices and herbs and you are done. This took about 25 minutes to make so it’s definitely a doable weeknight meal. I also chopped all the vegetables ahead of time and just kept them in the fridge for when I was ready to make it – such a time saver.
And of course, serve with Parmesan cheese!
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 1 small head of broccoli, chopped
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons minced garlic)
- 32 ounce can of Italian style diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- handful of fresh parsley, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 3-4 basil leaves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Parmesan cheese
- 8-10 ounces Rigatoni (I used Delallo Rigatoni)
- In a large saute pan or pot add olive oil and place over medium heat.
- Add all of the vegetable except for canned tomatoes. Saute for about 10 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
- Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally for additional 15 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, boil the noodles according to package directions.
- When sauce is done simmering add fresh herbs and pasta then gently mix. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Love Pasta? Follow my Pasta and Pizza Board on Pinterest to get all of my favorite recipes!
Mike Koenig
Just made my list đŸ™‚ Can’t wait to make it this week! Thanks for posting so quick!!!!
Jessica Erin
You’re welcome Mike! Enjoy!
CakePants
Wow, the colors in this pasta really pop! Looks like a delicious and satisfying dinner – one I’ll have to try soon!
Nutmeg Nanny
This pasta looks so hearty and delicious!