Pasta Primaver-Yeah!

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Before I get started on tonight's recipe, I'd like to give a shout out to my Aunt Linda for trying the Apricot Chicken recipe I posted last week. It looked amazing! She paired it with rice and sautéed spinach, which I will definitely have to do next time I make it. For all those who haven't had a chance to whip it up, tonight is the night! 

Moving on to today's recipe.

I had a load of veggies in the fridge that I needed to use up before going bad. Because our pantry is always stocked full of grains (pasta, rice, cereals, etc.) I decided to whip up some Pasta Primavera for dinner. 

Can I just say that I have some of the best ideas? I mean really...

This recipe is, you guessed it, EASY, delicious, and husband-approved. What I made is an adaptation of the original recipe found on the blog, Simple Recipes. I'm going to share what I did with the recipe, but you can always click that pretty link (^) for the original. 

The reason why I adapted was because I was missing a few ingredients and was too impatient to wait until I went to the grocery store to make this. 

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound of whole wheat spaghetti (You can use regular spaghetti or angel hair, if you must.)
  • 1 heaping cup of frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • 1/2 cup of frozen (or fresh) peas
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced. (I used a Bushsteak tomato because that's what I had in my fridge)
  • 12 basil leaves, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup of chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt

Steps:

  1. Prepare pasta according to package. Put aside after finished. 
  2. While the pasta is cooking, place a tablespoon of water in a small frying pan with broccoli. Steam broccoli for about 4 to 5 minutes until slightly soft. 
  3. Then, in a large sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. After the butter has melted, add the garlic and zucchini and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring often. 
  4. Pour the chicken broth into the veggie pan and bring to a boil. 
  5. Add the cream and toss in all the veggies, including the steamed broccoli and frozen peas. Stir to combine. 
  6. Turn the heat down until the mixture is just simmering. 
  7. Once at a simmer, add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine. 
  8. Transfer the pasta into the sauce and stir to coat. Add the basil and salt, and serve.

After one bite, I knew this recipe was going into my "Best of the Best" folder along with the Asian Pork Tenderloin recipe. I'm pretty sure I spent half of dinner making John tell me how great of a cook I was because I was so dang proud of myself for this meal. Sometimes you just need someone to give you positive reinforcement, right? Nothing wrong with that...

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!