Monday, February 25, 2013

Pasta Primavera

This dish to me doesn't even really seem like a recipe because it's so incredibly easy and there isn't even really a specific "recipe" that goes with it. However, this is one of my favorite dinners for several different reasons. One reason being, I love pasta!! In fact I could eat a giant bowl of pasta pretty much everyday, but let's be honest straight pasta is not the healthiest choice out there. This gives me the ability to enjoy an entire bowl pasta without consuming all the calories a bowl of pasta would normally have and I get the added benefit of extra veggies! 
Another plus with this dinner is that it can pretty much be made in about 15 minutes! Perfect for when you are needing a last minute meal.

Now, the real reason I love this dish so much is that it gives me hope! Let me explain... My oldest daughter is very picky! Getting her try anything new, let alone like anything new can be a serious challenge. I have been making this dish for probably 3-4 years and I like it so I make it quite frequently. This first million times I made this (ok not really but it felt like it) she would complain. She hated all the veggies in it, she would pick around them and sometimes there would even be tears if I told her she needed to try each one of the veggies. But slowly, very slowly, the veggies started to be ok. She decided she only liked the yellow ones but not the red or green; next time she only liked the red ones; etc. This has literally been going on for years! But I kept making it, kept having her try it, kept exposing her to it. Now I can happily say this is one of her favorite dishes! Tonight for dinner she not only ate her entire serving veggies and all; she had seconds, and declared we should have this ever week!! So when I say this dish gives me hope I mean that I know through patience, perseverance, and exposure I can help teach my kids how wonderful and delicious real food can really be! 

So with all that being said, lets continue...

Start by chopping 1 zucchini, 1 summer squash, and 1 red bell pepper. Sometimes I will add in extra veggies like asparagus or broccoli. This can be done while the water for the pasta is coming to a boil which cuts down on the overall dinner time. 





Once the water has come to a boil add in any type of whole wheat pasta; tonight I used penne. I used an entire box of pasta and this made a ton. We had plenty for leftovers so feel free to adjust the pasta if you want to make less. 





The pasta takes about 7-9 minutes to cook. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes and then add the veggies to the pasta. This cooks the veggies and the pasta at the same time. Another reason why I love this meal is that it is all made in the same pot which means less dishes!! 




Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and veggies. Sometimes I will also add in leftover chicken or even cut a chicken breast into strips and sauté it and then add it to the mixture after it has been drained. Then add any type of pasta sauce over it. This is good with marinara sauce, pesto, or alfredo. Tonight I used my kale pesto


That is it. Literally one of the easiest dinners I make and after years of hard work one of my families favorites :) 

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