Pasta primavera is a classic vegetarian pasta dish full of my favorite food group: vegetables!
This pasta has an interesting story behind it, becoming popular in the 1980s after it was featured on Le Cirque’s menu (a ritzy restaurant in NYC.)
Pasta primavera is meant to be an expression of springtime, actually, and since we’re towards the end of spring, I figured I’d bid adieu to the season with this primavera.
Primavera gets a lot of hate, because it’s a jumble of vegetables thrown atop pasta. However, when you carefully choose your vegetables and stick to the classic garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese sauce, it’s delightful.
You can never feed me too many veggies. Whenever I make a stir fry, I usually thrown in about 5 or 6 different types of vegetables.Ā I can’t get enough!
Pasta primavera reminds me of restaurants who name salads that have a lot of ingredients, “The Garbage Salad” or “The Kitchen Sink Salad.” Listen, there’s nothing wrong with jam-packing your salad with vegetables. So, why not jam-pack your pasta with veggies?
This simple recipe includes carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli and tomatoes. Of course, the “pasta” is made of zucchini, so there’s another veggie in the mix. Oh, and green peas!
Each vegetable brings its own texture, which I dig. When you bite into the al dente zucchini, the softened onions and the juicy tomatoes join and make for an incredible flavor and consistency.
Feel free to switch up the vegetables, based on your preferences – toss in some asparagus, arugula, red bell pepper, basil! Just keep the seasonings simple – garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It’s all you need, trust me!
I guess what I’m trying to say is, that, no one should hate on pasta primavera. Especially with it’sĀ zucchini pasta primavera!
What do you think of pasta primavera?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Zucchini Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- Ā¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or just a pinch
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Ā½ small red onion peeled, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup defrosted green peas
- 1 bell pepper seeds and top removed, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- 2 medium zucchinis Blade C
- 2 medium carrots peeled and then shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + more to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot filled halfway with lightly salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes or until tender but still crunchy. Drain into a colander, pat dry and set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once the oil heats, add in the garlic, red pepper flakes and onions. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Then, add in the tomatoes, green peas and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the bell pepper softens.
- Add in the zucchini noodles, carrot shavings, lemon juice and parsley and toss for 2-3 minutes or until the zucchini noodles are al dente.
- Add in the broccoli and parmesan cheese and toss completely to spread the cheese.
- Plate into bowls and top with additional parmesan cheese, to garnish.
comments