Packed with vegetables this pasta dish does double duty. It's delicious when served hot and equally as good served room temperature as a pasta salad. I love it because there are so many veggies that you get a bite in every forkful. Feel free to serve it just as is or as a side to grilled food. This one is a winner.
Ingredients for Penne Primavera:
1 pound penne rigate
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/12 pounds broccoli florets, cut into equal sized pieces
2 red bell peppers, seeded, halved, halved again and then cut into strips
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded, halved, halved again and then cut into strips
2 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 shredded parmesan cheese plus more for serving
about a dozen basil leaves, torn or sliced right before using
kosher salt
black pepper
Time-Saving Tip: All of the vegetables can be prepped in advance.
Let's see what we need.
We're ready to cook.
This is an easy and fairly quick recipe to prepare. The vegetables can all be prepped earlier in the day. This way they'll be waiting for you when you're ready to cook.
Cook pasta according to the package directions. During the last 2 minutes add the broccoli. Before draining reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Pour the oil into the pan. Add the peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, and onion; season with 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes and then toss in the garlic. Cook a total of 5 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender. Once done there will be a little vegetable juice in the pan. That's good because that is part of the sauce for this dish.
In the same pot used to cook the pasta add 1 tablespoon of oil and the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Saute on medium-high heat for a minute.
Add the pasta mixture to the pot and combine. Once well-mixed pour in the rest of the vegetable mixture and toss along with the reserved pasta water. Add the basil, cheese, and adjust seasonings.
It's ready! This is the perfect pasta dish for the summer. It's light and will be the perfect partner to anything that you have cooking on the grill. This is the perfect dish for entertaining.
Enjoy!
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