In one week, I pick-up my first share of vegetables from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which runs June – November. I’m excited and apprehensive to adventure into the land of seasonal produce, much of which I’ve never eaten, let alone cooked. I plan on blogging through this 24 week adventure! You can read along as I hopefully discover the abundance of delicious, fresh organic produce grown miles away– or as I pawn lettuce off on strangers.

All this excitement made me crave one of my favorite vegetable dishes, Pasta Primavera. I made this iteration many times in college, which speaks volumes to its ease. You can’t go wrong with roasted vegetables, in my opinion. They become so caramely when cooked at a high temperature. Maybe it’s the taste of nutrients dying? The combination of bell peppers, summer squash, carrots, and onions creates a flavorful complement to pasta that only gets better with the addition of salty Parmesan. I can’t wait to recreate it when my summer CSA comes in. Until then, it’s… peas?

Ingredients:
4 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 zucchini, cut into thin strips
1 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow), cut into thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz spaghetti (I used Vitaspelt’s spelt spaghetti)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Add cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir and serve immediately.

Serves 3-4

Recipe adapated from Giada De Laurentiis