What better way to celebrate Spring than making "Pasta Primavera," a healthy Spring Vegetable & Pasta dish...after all, "primavera" means 'spring style' in Italian ;) I love this easy and very versatile recipe....I use as many veggies that I can find in my refrigerator before they go bad. Asparagus, squash, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, onions, snow peas...the possibilities are endless! And, the light lemony-butter sauce makes this recipe irresistible :)
*The original version of this recipe came from evolvingtable.com - thank you SO much for sharing! I have adjusted the original recipe in order to make it gluten-free and allergy-friendly for my family.
Servings 6Servings, depending on the amount desired
Ingredients
The Pasta:
4CupsGluten-Free Pasta, dryany style is fine
The Vegetables:
1lbAsparagustrim ends and cut into 2" pieces
1largeYellow Squashquartered lengthwise & cut into bite-size pieces
1largeZucchiniquartered lengthwise & cut into bite-size pieces
2largeBell Peppers, any colorcut into bite-size pieces
1largeVidalia Onioncut into bite-size pieces
2-3TbspOlive Oil
1/2-1tspKosher Salt
1/4-1/2tspGround Black Pepper
1 tspDried Oregano
½tspDried Thyme
½tspDried Marjoram
½tspDried Basil
The Lemon-Butter Sauce:
4TbspButter, salted(1/2 stick)
1LargeLemonZest and juice
1 ½tspGarlic, mincedI use the already-minced Garlic in a jar
½CupWaterreserved from the pasta water
1TbspDried Basilor 1/4 Cup fresh, chopped
1/2-3/4CupParmesan, gratedfresh is best
1/2-1tspSaltto taste
Instructions
The Pasta:
In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water for the sauce before draining the rest of the water; set the pasta aside in a colander & keep the large pot available for cooking the sauce, etc.
The Vegetables:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
While the Pasta is cooking, cut up all of the vegetables into bite-size pieces and place them into a large bowl. *This step can be done ahead of time, if desired (just keep veggies refrigerated until ready to use).
Add the Olive Oil and spices to the vegetables in the bowl and toss to thoroughly coat; spread the veggies evenly onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until veggies are tender.
The Lemon-Butter Sauce:
Using the same pot that you used to cook the pasta, add the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic; cook over medium-low heat until the butter is completely melted and the garlic becomes fragrant (about 2 minutes).
Add the cooked Pasta, the reserved Pasta Water and the roasted vegetables to the Lemon-Butter mixture, tossing until thoroughly coated.
Next, add the Basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan and Salt (to taste); toss to combine.
Serve with freshly-grated Parmesan and fresh chopped Basil, if desired.