Ingredients
Serves 43 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 small red onion, very finely diced
½ cup squash (if available) grated
1 cup broccoli
1 cup zucchini, grated
1 cup mushrooms finely sliced
1 cup carrots
1 cup cooked pumpkin, cubed
1 bottle tomato passata
½ cup ricotta cheese (optional)
4 servings butterfly, farfalle or wheel or fun pasta shapes
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped or Italian herbs
1 tablespoons fresh basil, torn
Juice of ½ lemon
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Salt to taste
Method
Pour the oil into a frying pan on medium heat and add the garlic and onion, cook until the onion turns clear.
Stir through the vegetables and add the tomato passata, which will keep them green and fresh. Let them simmer for 3-5 minutes, but don't overcook.
As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and put into a large pasta bowl for serving.
Add the cooked vegetable sauce and mix through. Then add the fresh ingredients: tomato, parsley, lemon juice. Stir them through the sauce and serve immediately with parmesan cheese. Season to taste.
Notes:
Pasta Primavera (meaning 'spring pasta' in Italian) is made with tender spring vegetables but you could use whatever is in season to make this dish. A meat such as chicken, tuna, sausage or shrimp can be added if desired, but the focus of primavera is the vegetables themselves.