Entry #3359, March 23, 2014

Ready for a quick dish to satisfy the entire family for dinner?  Then look no further because the Spring Pasta Primavera recipe may be just what your family needs for dinner tonight.  With all of the delicious variety of vegetables and colors, it will give you the ultimate fulfillment of the spring season in your mouth.  So take some time out and go over the ingredients and instructions for this wonderful recipe for your family and friends to enjoy.

Easy Dinner Meal: Spring Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

Image via:  The Fresh Fridge

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Total Cooking Time:  50 minutes

Servings:  8

Ingredients

Vegetables:

3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 cup of Bite-sized Broccoli pieces
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 tablespoons of Butter
4 ounces of White Mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 medium Zucchini, sliced diagonally
1 medium Summer squash, sliced diagonally

Pasta Primavera Ingredients

Image via:  The Lost Italian

  Sauce:

1. 4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2. ½ Large Onion, diced
3. ½ cup of Chicken Broth
4. ¼ cup of White Wine
5. ½ cup of Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half
6. ½ cup of Grated Parmesan, (plus more for finishing touches)
7. Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
8. ½ cup of Frozen Peas
9. 12 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped (plus more for finishing touches)
10.  1 pound of Pasta (fettuccini style), cooked according package directions and drained

Directions

For the Vegetables:

1. Begin heating the 2 tablespoons of
   oil over a medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Then add and cook the carrots for about 1 minute.  Follow by adding in the broccoli and let those cook for a minute.  Repeat the process for the peppers, then remove all of the vegetables from the skillet and set them aside in a bowl.
2. Place the skillet back on the burner and add in the butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, allowing them to heat up.  Next, add in the mushrooms, zucchini and squash and cook them until they have begun to soften (approx. 2-3 minutes).  After the vegetables have cooked then remove them from the skillet and add them in with the other vegetables.

Pasta Primavera

 Image via:  The Windy Kitchen

  For the Sauce:

1. Cook the garlic and onions into the skillet for about 2 minutes or until they become translucent.  Then pour in the chicken broth and wine, stir the mixture together being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all of the flavorful bits.
2. Let the liquid cook for about 3-4 minutes, allowing it to reduce by half.  After the reduction stir in the cream and Parmesan allowing the cheese to melt, then add in the salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Take the bowl of vegetables and add it to the sauce along with the peas and basil.  Stir the combination.  If the sauce needs more liquid then splash a small amount of broth as needed.  Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and pour all of the contents of the skillet over the pasta and toss until everything is combined.  Sprinkle the top with extra basil and serve with extra Parmesan.
4. **You can substitute the wine with chicken broth if you prefer not to use it.

For more healthy recipes on Stagetecture, click here.