Pasta Primavera Recipe

• Difficulty: Easy
• Servings: 8
• Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories 426, Total Fat 17 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Carbohydrates 53 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Sugar 7 g, Protein 14 g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Sodium 615 mg
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Active Time: 40 minutes

Vegetables:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1 cup bite-sized broccoli florets
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 2 medium zucchinis, sliced diagonally
• 1 medium summer squash, sliced diagonally

Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, plus additional if needed
• 1/4 cup white wine (see Cook's Note)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped, with more for garnish
• 1 pound fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package instructions

Instructions:

1. Vegetable preparation: Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot slices and saut for 1 minute, then add the broccoli and cook 1 more minute. Add the red pepper strips and cook another minute. Remove these vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
2. Add the butter and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, and summer squash and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Combine these vegetables with the first batch and set aside.
3. Sauce preparation: Saut the minced garlic and diced onion in the skillet until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and white wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Let the mixture reduce for 3 to 4 minutes until it decreases by about half. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until the cheese melts. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Add all the cooked vegetables back to the sauce along with the peas and chopped basil; stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of additional chicken broth.
6. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving dish, pour the vegetable sauce over it, and toss to coat. Garnish with extra basil leaves and serve with additional Parmesan on the side.

Cook's Note: If you prefer not to use wine, replace it with additional chicken broth.