Photo: Leigh Loftus
If you have a garden, it’s entirely likely that you’re currently facing a surplus of something. You have either excess zucchini, excess green beans or excess kale. If you’re lucky enough to have a bumper crop of tomatoes, your options are pretty much limitless.
If you don’t have a garden, then you most likely have an access to a farmer’s market. Which means, someone has a bumper crop of something and you can take advantage of the uber affordable produce at your fingertips. Regardless of whether you’ve been churning out kale salads or caprese salads, it’s entirely likely that you’re just tired of salads. And what is the antithesis of a simple, summer salad? Carby, delicious pasta.
Baby penne is a fun pasta to use because just about anyone who you serve it to will comment on its utter adorableness. Well, your husband or boyfriend might not, in fact, he might roll his eyes at you, but then he just doesn’t get any seconds, does he?
Make this for date night or for a solo dinner. You’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day and you most definitely will not regret it.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- 4 ounces dried penne or cut ziti pasta (about one cup uncooked)
- 2 cups assorted summer vegetables (such as peas, broccoli florets, spinach, asparagus or green beans cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup part skim ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese
- Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the 2 cups summer vegetables (not including the tomatoes) the last 3 minutes of cooking; drain and keep warm.
- Stir the tomatoes, ricotta cheese, basil, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper into the pasta mixture and toss gently to coat.
- To serve, spoon the pasta mixture onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 2 servings.
2 Comments
#WineWednesday: The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio - In Good Taste
February 10, 2017 at 10:30 pm[…] Pairings: Crisp white wines pair really well with veggie-based pasta dishes like Baby Penne with Summer Vegetables and Baked Rigatoni with Kale. Light white wines are also perfect with spicy foods, like your next […]
Naomi Gutt
August 26, 2014 at 12:19 amWant to try this recipe tomorrow. It sounds so good and since I live alone it is not so much that there will be leftovers for the entire week.