Pasta Primavera

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love pasta, so when I came across a dish that is heart healthy, diet friendly and delicious I knew it had to be shared. Several years ago Giada De Laurentis featured this version of Pasta Primavera on her television show. At the time it was unique because it was made with roasted vegetables and used pan juices rather than cream to coat the pasta. While this is not a difficult dish to make, it involves mise en place a plenty and it's best to set aside 30 minutes to prepare the vegetables for the oven. Try to cut them all into matchstick-size pieces to insure even cooking. You will need two large baking sheets to hold the vegetables and it will look like you are planning to feed the immediate world. Don't worry, their volume will decrease by half as they cook, so you'll be left with a manageable quantity to add to the pasta. I do cheat a little when I make this dish. I've found that the other vegetables cook more quickly than the carrots, so I blanch the carrots prior to roasting. I also warm the tomatoes before adding them to the pasta. This recipe makes a lot of food. If you are cooking for a small family I'd advise cutting the recipe ingredients in half. The dish does not freeze well. If you are looking for a meatless meal, I think you'll love this one. Here's the recipe.

Pasta Primavera...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2) On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all vegetables, except for tomatoes, with oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Coat well. Transfer half to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange vegetables evenly on pans. Bake until carrots are tender and vegetables begin to brown, stirring after first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.
3) Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
4) Toss pasta with vegetable mixture in a large bowl to combine. Add cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately. Yield: 6 Servings.

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