What makes this pasta primavera so flavorful is that the vegetables are roasted, so their natural sweetness bursts and they remain the main focus of the dish. I cooked onions, zucchini and summer squash until they caramelized, then added a variety of colorful tomatoes. I boiled some spaghetti on the side and as soon as it was cooked, I tossed the pasta with the roasted vegetables and topped it off with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
You could prepare this dish with any kind of vegetable or herb, but I just used what was ripe in our garden. And it tasted fantastic! Who ever said healthy and tasty couldn’t go hand in hand?
1. Info for Pasta Primavera Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 6
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Pasta Primavera Recipe
- 1 (16-ounce) package homemade fresh spaghetti pasta
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 small red onions, cut into small wedges
- 3 small zucchini
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 cups colorful tomato medley, coarsely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons red chili flakes, to taste
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 teaspoons blend of pink, green and black peppercorns, freshly cracked
3. Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the vegetables in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 small long wedges and finally cut them crosswise into quarters.
- Brush a baking pan with olive oil. Spread the onions, zucchini and summer squash evenly on the pan, in a single layer. Add red chili flakes and drizzle with more olive oil to coat the vegetables. Toss well. Generously season with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Toss half-way through the cooking process for even roasting.
- Place the chopped tomatoes in a mixing bowl and drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well.
- After the zucchini and squash have roasted for 10 minutes, open the oven and add the tomatoes. Roast for another 6-8 minutes. Let cool a bit.
- Bring about 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, bring back to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a gentle boil. That way it will cook all the way through evenly. Cook the pasta for about 3-4 minutes total until the pasta floats to the surface. Salt the water half-way through the cooking process (it will bring out the natural flavor of the pasta and it will be more tender) and keep gently stirring every now and then so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When the pasta is cooked (but still in shape and firm), reserve about 1½ cups of pasta water and drain the pasta using a slotted pasta spoon. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Immediately add the roasted vegetables and the pan drippings to the hot pasta. Add about 1 cup (up to 1½ cups) of pasta water to moisten the pasta and toss until well distributed. Adjust seasoning. Transfer to a platter.
- Serve immediately.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bon appétit!
