Hola Mi Gente,
Most of you probably know that I have a very special place in my heart for pasta. It’s a food I’m probably never not craving. It’s ultimate comfort food, and a food I really enjoy cooking. Generally I tend to crave red sauces a lot. In the past, white sauces have seemed bland or boring to me. The creaminess overpowers my tastebuds, and I find myself craving the acidity and texture of tomatoes. About a year an a half ago though, I started making this sauce and playing around with it.
I realized that white, creamy sauces don’t have to be devoid of color, texture, or flavor! And the cure to that is a pinch of chili powder and half the produce section from the grocery store 🤣 No, really, this dish is so packed with vegetables that for the most part, you can gloss over the heavy cream and butter. Seasoned with good salt, chili powder, and fresh herbs, the vegetables in this dish get their flavors amplified, and then coated in the smoothness of the cream.
Below in the recipe are my favorite combination of summer vegetables, but you can add or subtract based on your tastebuds, and make this dish your own! With only two pots used to cook it, this is the perfect meal to make when you have a big crowd coming over (and a great way to clean out your fridge!).
Love, love, love,
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Summer Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs Dry Pasta
- 2 TBSP Butter
- 3 Cloves Garlic Finely Grated
- 1 Shallot Finely Diced
- 1 TBSP Dry White Wine
- 4 Basil Leaves Chopped
- 4 Oregano Leaves Chopped
- 1 C Baby Heirloom Tomatoes Sliced
- 1 C Mini Portobella Mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Zucchini Diced
- 1 Summer Squash Diced
- 2 C Baby Kale
- 2 TBSP Grated Parmesan
- 2 C Heavy Cream
- 2.5 TBSP Kosher Salt
- 2 TSP Chili Powder
Instructions
- Fill a large pot of water 3/4 way with water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle about 1 TSP salt and add pasta. Cook Pasta as instructed on the package for al dente pasta (about 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large (10-12") pan over medium-high heat and begin to melt butter. Once butter is melted, add in the garlic, basil and oregano and sauté until golden brown. Add in the wine, and deglaze the pan before adding in the remaining vegetables. Cook down until kale is wilted, and then add in heavy cream, salt, chili powder, and parmesan. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the pasta, and toss, serve, and enjoy!
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
