Pasta Primaver-y-good

Tonight on my plate sat a medley of vegetables over pasta to accompany my medley of homework over the weekend. Let you in on a secret though – the dinner was better than the homework. Showcasing vegetables is what pasta primavera does best. Fresh and crisp, this dish left me feeling full, but not bloated with carbs. It was wildly colorful with an assortment of peppers, carrots, squash and onions – any fresh produce you can find and if not, try the frozen section. Without a heavy sauce covering up the flavor, it felt clean. With the bite of freshly grated parmesan and voluptuous taste of herbs de provence, it was just what the college student wants on a Sunday night.

Start to finish, this meal took about 25 minutes. Time can be a deal breaker in college between getting off a shift at work and catching up on that pile of reading in the corner. This dinner gives full enjoyment without requiring a full commitment. Plus, this makes just enough for a lunch tomorrow. Perfect, in my case, because my creative cooking juices haven’t started flowing at 8 AM when I wake up for class. Ideally, I’d love to make something fresh every day for lunch. Realistically, I don’t have that kind of time. Therefore, having the ability to reheat something great for lunch that I had for dinner is a perk in itself.

[And this pepper was telling me to eat. NOW!]

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

Handful or so of pasta [traditionally use farfalle, but I used angel hair]

2 T olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 small zucchini, chopped

½ onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small tomato, chopped

Salt and pepper

Herbs de provence

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. In medium sized pot, cook pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in frying pan over medium high heat.

3. Once hot, add carrots, zucchini, onion, and green pepper. Cook for about 3-5 min – once onions start to turn translucent.

4. Add garlic and spices, cook for 2 min.

5. Drain pasta, add to fry pan.

6. Mix in tomato and grated parmesan.

7. Eat!