Simple and Healthy Pasta Primavera

Healthy isn’t always the first thing we think about when it comes to pasta.  Glutenous noodles covered in gooey sauce and cheese are rarely thought of as nutritious.  You know what though?  To heck with that crap!  If the pasta is prepared properly using amazing ingredients, it can be just as nutrient dense and full of protein as any other entree!  This healthy pasta primavera is jam packed with lots of vegetables, cheese, fresh garlic and herbs.  Sound pretty nutritious to me right?

So I have decided to cast aside anything warm and comforting when it comes to food.  We’ve had one of the snowiest winters on record here in Alberta…..and honestly…I’m fricken tired of it!  For the next little while I will be creating spring and summer inspired dishes to remind me that green grass and flowers actually do exist.  Seriously guys, it’s been sooooo snowy!  I also think its fitting that “primavera” means spring.  Yeah….I’m done with winter.

This healthy pasta primavera is the perfect way of slowly incorporating summery vegetables with hearty pasta, mozzarella, and crispy Parmesan.  I went with fresh peppers, tomatoes, broccolini, mushrooms, onions, and garlic.  One of the keys to the flavor of this pasta dish is to thinly slice the garlic, instead of finely chopping it.  The more you chop garlic, the more of the flavor you release.  I wanted a milder garlic taste for this dish and it didn’t disappoint!  The flavors were really well balanced.  Give it a try!

Because the sauce is lighter, I decided to use linguine.  I honestly wouldn’t recommend thicker noodles as this is meant to be a light and healthy pasta primavera, and I promise there is a ton of flavor here!  Also feel free to use gluten free pasta too!  I promise I haven’t forgotten about the celiacs out there!  One of the things that makes this pasta is the Parmesan crisps.  I thought it would be fun to add something crunchy to this dish to compliment all those tasty vegetables.  I just took some grated parmesan, and spread it evenly in a pan.  I turned up to heat up to medium and just let the cheese brown.  It’s easy to flip because the cheese melts together.  Total cooking time for these crisps is under 5 minutes and they add some nice texture to this healthy pasta primavera!

5 from 1 vote

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Healthy Pasta Primavera

Course: Dinner, Entree, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 People

Ingredients

• 200 grams linguine, dry
• 2 cups chopped broccolini
• 1 cup sliced peppers
• 1/4 cup sliced red onions
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 each zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped bocconcini cheese
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Parmesan Crisps

1. Spread out the cheese thinly in a pan.  Heat up the pan on medium heat.  Cook the parmesan until the edges start to turn golden brown.   You should be able to flip the cheese over as a whole, almost like a cupcake!  Cook on the other side for another minute and then set aside.  

Healthy Pasta Primavera

1. Cook the linguine according to the directions on the box.  Make sure to season the water well.  Drain, cool, and set aside.

2. Add all of the vegetables, garlic, butter, and oil to a large pan.  Cook on medium high until the vegetables are caramelized with color.

3. Add in the linguine and heat through.  Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Add in the bocconcini and let the cheese melt.  Garnish with chopped parsley, and the parmesan crisps

If you are like me and like some extra protein,  You should really check out my stuffed turkey meatballs.  They are stuffed with even more bocconcini and would be a great addition to this healthy pasta primavera!

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