Light Pasta with Garden Vegetable Sauce

Posted Fri, 09/18/2009 - 09:47 by ray
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This is a great recipe to use a bunch of vegetables from your garden. It's also a great dinner for two.

Note that yellow summer squash can be substituted for the zucchini. You can also try other forms of pasta, although the recipe favors rotini.

Preparation Time: 
20 to 30 minutes
Servings: 
Serves 2
Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 carrot, peeled and grated with the large holes of a box grater
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 pound rotini pasta (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups baby arugula (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Ground black pepper

Preparation: 

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, toss to combine, and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon more to oil the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrot, onion, bell pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute; cover and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
4. Add the sautéed zucchini-tomato mixture, broth mixture, arugula, basil, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the cooked pasta, and gently toss to combine. Cover and let sit off the heat until the vegetables are hot, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust the sauce consistency with the reserved cooking water as desired. Serve and enjoy.

Source: 

Inspired by a recipe on The America's Test Kitchen TV Show.

Comments

This is a beautiful dish to

by Deb - 09/20/2009 - 09:38

This is a beautiful dish to present. It looks like a yummy recipe as well. Going to try this one soon.