My husband taught me this dish when we were first married. It was love at first bite for me and has always been in frequent rotation at out house. Although it is a vegetarian dish, everyone I have ever made it for wants the recipe. Male or not. Veggie lover or not. Its quick. Its simple. Its delicious. Its a total winner. And especially if you occassionally race or compete in any type of athletic competition its good to have something besides a “spaghetti feed” when you are trying to get all your carbs.
You can make this without a food processor, but it will take a long time. Fair warning.
With the grating blade of your food processor, grate the following:
*2-3 medium sized carrots, washed and trimmed
*1 large or two medium sized zuchini, washed and trimmed
*1 Large red bell pepper, washed, seeds and stem removed
That was easy enough, right?
In a large sauce pan over medium heat add 2-3 tablespoon Olive Oil. Once pan and oil are warm, add grated vegetables. Add about 1/3 cup of water and 1-2 teaspoons of salt. (Believe it or not, the salt brings out the sweetness of the peppers and carrots). Partially cover pan with lid and let simmer about 10 minutes. You might need to add a little more water depending on how quickly it boils off.
Now its time to get your pot of water for the pasta going. Don’t forget to add salt to your water–ever! Our favorite pasta for this dish is “Orecchiette” (meaning little ears) which we get at Trader Joe’s. Most Americans don’t know this, BUT different pasta shapes do tastes different and do work with different types or sauces in different ways. Its important to have a pasta shape that suites your sauce. You could also use small shells or penne with this sauce.
Once your water is boiling, add 2-2.5 cups pasta. Cook until al dente–about 11 minutes. Drain pasta and then combine with the vegetables sauce.
Voila! Enjoy this easy, veggie rich pasta.
