Cooking for two: A feast for two with colorful vegetables…
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini (halved lengthwise; sliced 1/4 inch thick)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 medium carrots (peeled; sliced 1/2 inch thick)
- 1 small onion (sliced thin)
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper (stemmed; seeded; cut into 1/4-inch pieces)
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 medium cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
- red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 pound rotini pasta (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups baby arugula (washed; stemmed)
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- ground black pepper
- grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and toss to combine and wilt slightly. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 more teaspoon oil to the now-empty skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until the onions and peppers have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute; cover and set aside.
- Stir 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta into the boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Gently stir the sautéed zucchini-tomato mixture, carrot-sauce mixture, arugula, basil, and remaining olive oil into the pasta. Cover and let sit off the heat until the vegetables are hot, about 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing the Parmesan cheese separately.
Tags: carrot, zucchini, pasta, vegetarian