Pasta Primavera

Yes, yes, I do realize that we are in the middle of winter but I really needed a dish to make it feel like spring...it's cold here in New England! So I threw a bunch of summer veggies in my cart and set out to recreate a killer pasta primavera my office ordered for our holiday lunch back in December.

The result of this recreation was delicious - there wasn't nearly as much creamy sauce as the original dish but that was part of my intention - food at my house will be damn good but not necessarily as heavy and fat-laden as that which can be found in restaurants.

Pasta Primavera
source: Smells Like Home

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small to medium zucchini, cubed in 1/2" pieces
• 1 medium or 2 small yellow squash, cubed in 1/2" pieces
• 1 red pepper, diced in 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, drained, patted dry and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 lb uncooked spaghetti

1. In a large stockpot, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, squash, red peppers, salt and pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes or until veggies being to soften. Add sundried tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Stir in tomato paste until vegetables are coated with the paste and cook for another minute or so. Stir in cream and allow mixture to come to a simmer. If sauce is too thick, add some pasta water. If sauce is too thin, add some additional tomato paste and allow sauce to return to a simmer. If there isn't enough sauce, add some additional cream, half-n-half or skim milk if you're watching calories.
4. After pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the veggie mixture and stir to combine veggies with pasta.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Serves: 3