Pasta Primavera with Zucchini, Mushrooms and Chard

By Krimkus

There is something about a bite of perfectly cooked pasta lightly dressed with sauce and cheese, that brings my family to the table in no time flat.

I’m guessing die hard pasta lovers stick with traditional versions like those described on the Garrubbo Guide, but I’m a whole wheat or quinoa fan myself.

This week we packed our sauce with farm fresh vegetables. The market had an abundance of zucchini, yellow squash and chard that I couldn’t walk past without piling a bunch into my basket. Chunks of mushrooms add a meat-like texture.

If you’re thinking pasta is nixed on your menu because it’s packed with calories and fat, you’d be mistaken. This recipe comes in under 400 calories a serving, and is loaded with good for you veggies. It’s a meal in a bowl.

If you prefer a meatier pasta dish, this Quinoa Fettuccine with Kale, Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Italian sausage was a hit with the crowd too.

I guarantee that when you serve quinoa noodles, the taste and texture is very much the same as semolina or flour. I’ve yet to have anyone question what type of pasta I was serving.

I’m headed off to weed the vegetable garden now. Here’s hoping I’ll grow enough of my own vegetables for my next pasta cooking adventure.

~Kristi

Print Pasta Primavera

Serving Size: 4

Shake It Up! You could add almost any vegetable your family enjoys to this pasta dish. Fresh tomatoes and basil would be wonderful. Artichoke hearts, eggplant, kale would all work well.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 medium yellow squash, cubed
  • 1 medium zucchini, cubed
  • 2 cups mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cups red chard, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 29 ounces low sodium tomato sauce
  • 6 ounces penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained (reserve 1 cup pasta water) I use quinoa, but whole wheat works well too.
  • 8 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserve 1 cup pasta water.
  2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat with olive oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add vegetable broth as needed to keep from burning.
  3. Add remaining vegetable broth with garlic, squashes and mushrooms. Cook another 5 minutes to soften vegetables.
  4. Add Italian seasoning and tomato sauce. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are just tender. Add chard and cook another 5 minutes to wilt the chard.
  5. Toss with penne pasta. If pasta seems to dry, add a bit of pasta broth to moisten.
  6. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Food energy: 366kcal Saturated fatty acids: 2.88g Monounsaturated fatty acids: 3.95g Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 1.32g Total fat: 8.15g Calories from fat: 73 Cholesterol: 42mg Carbohydrate, by difference: 57.78g Total dietary fiber: 6.77g Protein: 15.58g Total lipid (fat): 8.92g Water: 394.33g Ash: 4.17g Total sugars: 16.81g Calcium: 205mg Iron: 4.36mg Magnesium: 107mg Phosphorus: 329mg Potassium: 1370mg Sodium: 367mg

2.5http://motherrimmy.com/recipe-pasta-primavera/Mother Rimmy�s Cooking Light Done Right by Kristin A. Rimkus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.