I love making spiral noodles from veggies. And while they’re a great substitute that I enjoy, a whole plate of spiral veggies vs. pasta is a bit more than my son can handle.
So what’s a dad to do? Just give up on serving spiral noodles instead of pasta? Never! Instead, I decided a little combo action was in order and created my own special twist on Pasta Primavera.
Using about half pasta noodles and half veggie noodles, my Garden Pasta Primavera sneaks A LOT of veggies into this pasta dish—but not so many that it’s going to get rejected. Yes, my son knows they’re in there, but it passes his “sniff test.” 🙂
What’s also great about this dish is how versatile it is. While I’ve featured it here with zucchini squash, onions, an apple, and tomatoes, you can mix things up to suit your own personal tastes or whatever you’ve got on hand.
And if you don’t have a spiral slicer, fear not. Simply use a mandolin slicer, a julienne peeler, or a knife to cut up long, thin pieces of squash. You can even shred the squash if you really want, although I’ve found it’s not quite as appetizing, and the dish can get a little mushy. Regardless, my main point is … feel free to experiment!
So get out a pot, boil up some whole wheat pasta, and get ready to mix in a wonderful array of stir-fried veggies to create your own, delicious twist on the classic Pasta Primavera!
Cheers!
Bruce
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Recipe: Garden Pasta Primavera
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 -4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
- 1–2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3–4 green onions (green tops reserved for garnish or 1 small onion, diced)
- 2 medium zucchini (cut into spiral noodles or long, thin pieces)
- 1 small apple (cored cut into spiral noodles or long, thin pieces)
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 2/3 cup pecorino romano cheese (shaved (parmesan will work as well))
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (sliced in half or thirds)
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil (reserve some for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti noodles as directed.
- Add oil to a wok or large saucepan. Over medium-low heat cook onions and then add garlic until fragrant.
- Add zucchini and apples. Cook for 5-6 minutes until warmed and they start to soften.
- Drain pasta. Add butter (optional) and parmesan to noodles. Stir in zucchini mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of basil and lemon juice.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve pasta on plates. Garnish with tomatoes, shaved pecorino romano cheese, green onions greens (if using), and remaining basil.
Notes
We recommend using organic ingredients if possible.
If you don’t have any fresh basil on hand, substitute 3 teaspoons dried basil.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Kitchen Tips and Resources:
- I’ve tried several different spiral vegetable slicing tools, and I think the Paderno Slicer does the best job. It’s available at Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, and lots of other kitchen retailers. And again, if you don’t want to invest in a spiral slicer a mandolin slicer or a julienne peeler work very nicely.
- I have several different woks, but I usually use my stainless steel one to do quick stir-fries or to whip up spiral noodles.
- Wooden spatulas and spoons work fine when stir-frying vegetables, but if you’ve ever tried a wok spatula, you’ll never want to go back—especially if you’re using a wok. I absolutely love mine!
2 Responses
We have one of those spiral slicers and love it. What a great idea to go 50/50 with noodles and veggies.
I tried this recipe last night with squash from the garden. It was so fresh, delicious, and flavorful, and the kiddos gobbled up it with no complaints. I made a double batch and can’t wait to eat some of the leftovers for lunch!
Keep the comments coming, J! And thanks for trying a bunch of our recipes. So glad you’re liking them!