Pasta Primavera :: A Summer Staple

If I ever decide to share a recipe on this blog it's because of two reasons: 


1. It's insanely delicious.
2. It's ridiculously easy. 

This recipe is one of the earliest meals that my Mama taught me to make and one that, sadly, I don't make nearly as often as I should. However, with a backyard garden full of fresh, homegrown zucchini and yellow squash, I know this will soon change. 


This dish is the perfect light meal for a summer evening. Paired with a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot only makes it that much better. 


What You'll Need: 


- 1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
- 1 large yellow squash, sliced into 1/4" rounds
- 2 cups of sliced mushrooms (I like a lot of mushrooms)
- 2 medium size heads of broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup sliced or diced black olives (I grew up eating olives in this dish, however The Husband isn't a fan so I omit these)
(Feel free to also add cauliflower, sliced red, green or yellow pepper, etc.) The great thing about this dish is that you can really throw in whatever vegetables you want! 
- Parmesean and mozzarella cheese to serve. 
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
- 2 shakes Italian Seasoning
- 1 box of pasta (I typically use multi-grain angel hair)


What You'll Do: 


Bring a large pot of water to a boil for your pasta.


1. Coat a saute pain with olive oil (a good 3-4 turns of the pan) on medium heat
2. Once oil has heated, toss in your garlic and mushrooms.
The goal here is to cook the veggies to perfection. You don't want them too soggy or mushy so I purposefully cook them in this order. 


Begin cooking your pasta now- as it will likely boil for 10-11 minutes.


3. Once your mushrooms are lightly browned, toss in your broccoli florets, squash rounds and sprinkle in your Italian seasoning.  If you feel like you need to add another dash or two of olive oil, go for it. Cook these vegetables for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Toss in your cherry tomato halves, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and cover with lid and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Once your vegetables are cooked, turn off your burner but don't remove your pan. 


Once your pasta is al dente, drain and toss in with your sauteed vegetables. 


Serve with fresh grated parmesean and mozzarella cheese. 


Enjoy! Keep in mind this recipe is from inside my head, so I hope I didn't forget anything!