Pasta Primavera

I adapted this wonderful pasta primavera from one of Giada De Laurentiis' recipes. The pasta is loaded with vegetables and topped with parmesan reggiano cheese. To make this pasta shine, use the best ingredients. I often try to get clean, natural, and/or organic ingredients if at all possible. You may pay more, but I find that there is definitely a difference in taste. In the tips section, I mention a few of my favorite staple ingredient brand names that I use in this dish.

One of the reasons why I love this pasta primavera, is it is not loaded down with cream and fat. It is light and delicious - a perfect embodiment of spring! Primavera is the Italian word for 'spring'. You can serve this dish for a main course or a side course, and if you miss the meat, you can simply add grilled chicken (or shrimp). Serve this with a crusty artesian bread, and you have a lovely meal!

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

Make sure to read through the instructions before preparing this recipe.

My favorite olive oil is Iliada extra virgin olive oil, made from Kalamata olives. It is superb! I can't say enough good things about this product. The taste is excellent; I can almost drink it...almost!

My favorite Parmigiano Reggiano is from Boar's Head. They import it from Italy, and it is the real deal. This cheese is pricey but well worth it.

The original recipe had you toss the uncooked vegetables with the dried herbs, and then you roasted the vegetables. I added the dried herbs after the roasting because I did not want to lose the flavor of the herbs during the cooking process. I also was concerned that the herbs may turn bitter on me during the intense roasting time.

You have a choice of herbs - Italian or herbes de Provence (French). I used the Italian.

I found that I did not have to add additional salt when the dish was finished.

Preparation time is 30 minutes. Cook time is 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled
2 medium or 1 large zucchini
2 yellow summer squash
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 pound dried farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the carrots, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers into thin 2-inch long strips. On a large, heavy baking sheet, toss the vegetable strips, onion, oil, and 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another large, heavy baking sheet, and arrange the vegetables evenly over both sheets. Bake, stirring after the first 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the other vegetables begin to brown, about 20 to 28 minutes total. After roasting the vegetables, add the dried herbs to the vegetables.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the cooked vegetables to combine. Add the cherry tomatoes and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten, about 1/3 to 1 cup. If needed, you can season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.