i love pasta, but the thought of whole cream makes my tummy turn circles (so high on the bad fat and calories scale), so i was psyched when i found this yummy recipe. it has a TON of veggies - so feel free to substitute some for what you already have or what is cheap, or just use a few less and add some grilled chicken if you're still converting to veggieism. the sauce is what makes this one so yummy, so adjust other ingredients to your liking.
no-cream pasta primavera
1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned (pricey! use green pepper or leave out! - or splurge)
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, divided (can use a little bit less)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1-1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil (originally called for fresh, but dried is cheap!)
1-1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley (same as above - use fresh if you want to splurge!)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
directions
1. preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. in a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
4. heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. gently toss and cook until heated through. remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with cheese to serve.
about 6 servings
modified by the skinny bovine from original recipe found at allrecipes.com
MMMM! This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. I would recomend it to anyone.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds exactly like something I do all the time! Roasting the vegetables really gives a lot of added texture (as opposed to steaming them till they are mushy) without adding a lot of fat.
ReplyDeleteI have tried a Mediterranean version I could recommend here:
for roasted vegetables, try eggplant, fresh tomato slices, and sliced olives. Instead of (or in addition to) the Parmesan, use Feta cheese.
Go veggies!
thanks, love!
ReplyDeleteand mmmm, good idea jeanie! that sounds super yummy! feta cheese was the one food i died for (that i wasn't supposed to eat) when i was pregnant!
I'm literally making this right now, the laptop is in my kitchen so I can look at the recipe! I got really cheap fresh basil and parsley, so we'll see how it turns out! It's looking and smelling pretty yummy!
ReplyDeleteI made this today, only I used a different recipe since I keep forgetting to buy balsamic vinegar. I used the recipe on Food Network's website from Giada de Laurentiis, and it was easy, fast, cheap, and GREAT. :) Thank you for your inspiration. You are my favorite cow.
ReplyDelete