Giada's Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

Name: Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips; 2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips; 2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips; 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, such as Giadzy Tuscan Grill Herb Blend; 1 pound short pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni; 1 14-oz can datterini tomatoes; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Primavera is Italian for "spring," and that's what this dish tastes like. It was created at Le Cirque, New York's famed restaurant, in the 1970s because some high-flying and health-conscious patrons complained that they wanted lighter and healthier dishes. The original version was labor-intensive because you had to not only dice all the vegetables, but also blanch them in different pots. My version cuts out the blanching, and instead you roast the vegetables and end up with a sweet, caramelized, intensely flavored bite. Consider doubling the recipe; it only gets better the next day.

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Image of Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil

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1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, such as Giadzy Tuscan Grill Herb Blend

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1 pound short pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni

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1 14-oz can datterini tomatoes

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1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt and Italian seasoning to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 to 25 minutes total.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the canned datterini tomatoes, juice and all, and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt to taste, if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan.