About the Recipe
Spring on a plate!
Ingredients
1 box of your favorite dry pasta (short pasta works best, such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli or farfalle) 3 Tbsp sea salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cups broccoli, cut into 1” chunks 1 large carrot, sliced into thin circles 1 red onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips 1 small zucchini, cut into thin circles 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 small container grape tomatoes, washed and cut in half 1 small container sliced cremini mushrooms (sliced button mushrooms may be substituted) 1/2 tsp dried oregano 6 oz pasta water (just set aside before you drain cooked pasta) 1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced 1 c grated parmesan 2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Preparation
Fill a 4 to 6 quart pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Add three tablespoons of sea salt. Add pasta and boil according to box instructions. Scoop out about a cup of the pasta water after about 8 minutes and set aside (careful!). In a separate, large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook a minute or two until translucent. Add carrot slices and cook another two to three minutes. Now add red pepper strips and broccoli and zucchini chunks and cook another two minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, oregano and about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook two minutes more. If you like spice, you may add red pepper flakes now. Drain pasta in a collander. Add sauteed vegetables into the pasta pot and toss in hot pasta, lemon zest and juice, pasta water, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and stir well, allowing the starch from the hot pasta water to melt the cheese and create a creamy sauce. Taste - add more salt, pepper or cheese, as needed.