one-pot pasta primavera
serves 4
I love to cook, but I hate the cleanup. That’s why I like this recipe with only one pot to wash. The vegetables cook right with the pasta, then get added back into the same pot to mingle with the delectable sauce.
12 ounces penne or other bite-size pasta
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, minced
¼ cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
1½ cups grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the carrot, broccoli, and zucchini to the pasta pot. Drain the pasta and vegetables well and set aside. Return the pot to the stove. Add the 3 tablespoons oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook until softened, 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for 30 seconds. Return the pasta and vegetables to the pot. Add the tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, tossing gently to combine, and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Drizzle on a little more olive oil, if desired.
note: To make this or any of the other pasta recipes gluten free, use a gluten-free pasta.
penne with artichokes, walnuts, and olives
serves 4
This is one great pasta dish, loaded with flavors and textures. I especially like the way the walnuts play off the olives, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Instead of canned artichoke hearts, you could substitute 1½ cups of drained marinated artichoke hearts or cooked frozen artichoke hearts.
12 ounces penne or other bite-size pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped walnut pieces
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
½ cup vegetable broth or pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or basil
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the walnuts, then add the artichokes, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and wine. Add the broth and simmer to heat through and blend the flavors, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the artichoke mixture and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Drizzle on a little more olive oil, if desired. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
rotini with 10-minute tomato–olive sauce
serves 4
Sure, you could just reach for a jar of prepared sauce, but this sauce may entice you to make your own. Ready by the time the pasta is done cooking, the lusty sauce is made with three kinds of tomatoes, lots of garlic, kalamata olives, and fresh herbs. You won’t find all that in a jarred sauce.
12 ounces rotini
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook the rotini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, and simmer until the tomatoes have broken down a bit, 5 minutes. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste. Cook to blend flavors, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes longer. Drain the cooked pasta well and serve topped with the sauce.
ziti with roasted cauliflower and tomatoes
serves 4
Roasted cauliflower has such a tremendous flavor, I thought it deserved to be the star of the show rather than a side dish. Cherry tomatoes add color and their special sweetness, while garlic, pine nuts, raisins, and capers lend a Sicilian aura to the dish.
1 small head cauliflower
½ cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces ziti or other bite-size pasta
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup raisins
2 tablespoons capers
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed
½ cup vegetable broth, white wine, or pasta water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Oil a baking sheet and set aside. Use a sharp knife to remove the core from the head of the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower on a work surface, cored side down. Use a large serrated knife to cut the cauliflower into ½-inch slices (as you would slice a loaf of bread). Break the cauliflower slices into bite-size pieces and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the cherry tomatoes among the cauliflower pieces, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower and tomatoes, turning once, about halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.
While the cauliflower and tomatoes are roasting, cook the ziti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes.
In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts and cook to soften the garlic and lightly toast the pine nuts, about 1 minute. Stir in the raisins, capers, red pepper flakes, and fennel. Add the broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer to blend flavors, 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Drain the cooked pasta well and return to the pot. Add the garlic mixture and the cauliflower and tomatoes and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings and drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired. Garnish with the basil and serve immediately.
linguine with artichoke and white bean alfredo
serves 4
Piquant artichokes punctuate the creamy white bean sauce in this luscious interpretation of the classic Alfredo dish. To get the sauce perfectly smooth, use a Vitamix or other high-speed blender. Otherwise, the sauce may retain bits of artichoke, which is okay, too.
12 ounces linguine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1 (9-ounce) jar marinated artichokes, drained
1 cup home-cooked white beans, or canned beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup hot pasta water or vegetable broth
½ cup soy creamer (optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, combine the garlic and salt in a blender or food processor and mince well. Add the artichokes, white beans, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and hot pasta water and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the soy creamer, if using, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and toss to combine. Serve hot, garnished with the parsley.
summer pasta with red and yellow tomatoes
serves 4
Inspired by my own garden-fresh vegetables, this lovely pasta dish makes regular appearances in my house during the summer, when tomatoes, summer squash, and basil are at their peak. Creamy cannellini beans add protein and substance. To add to the summer theme, I use farfalle (butterfly) pasta, but any bite-size pasta shape can be used.
12 ounces farfalle or other bite-size pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 scallions, minced
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups red grape tomatoes, halved
1½ cups yellow grape tomatoes, halved
1½ cups home-cooked cannellini beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Cook the farfalle in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, scallions, zucchini, and yellow squash and cook until the squash is softened, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the squash mixture, the red and yellow tomatoes, beans, and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then toss gently to combine. Serve immediately, drizzled with a little more olive oil, if desired.