I made this rigatoni with zucchini, tomatoes, basil and pine nuts the same day I saw the recipe on Eats Well With Others. Since I’m trying to limit my grocery shopping, this recipe is one of those perfect “clean out the fridge” recipes. I adapted the original recipe a bit to use up what I had in the fridge and I opted for rigatoni because that’s what I had on hand. This recipe was super easy to throw together and nice to have a healthy family meal together for lunch with my kids and husband. My kids usually love a marinara based pasta so I wondered how they would feel about a pasta filled with veggies tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Happily, they both really enjoyed it and even though my son wasn’t thrilled with the veggies, he did have seconds of the pasta. My husband REALLY loved this veggie filled rigatoni and finished off the very last remnants in the pan. I thought it was delicious and I appreciate that the recipe is so adaptable so you can use whatever veggie or pasta you have on hand.
Cook the rigatoni in well salted water. per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and zucchini then cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
Add the asparagus and sliced garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and grape tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
Add the drained pasta and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the balsamic vinegar. Add a few tablespoons of reserved cooking water then toss until well coated and reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Add a little more reserved cooking water, if needed.
Add the basil and pine nuts then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated parmesan on the side. Enjoy!
Rigatoni with Zucchini, Tomatoes, Basil and Pine Nuts
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz rigatoni, cooked per package instructions *reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/4 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch half moons
- 3 asparagus spears, wooden ends removed & cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
- Pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1½ cups grape tomatoes
- 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, to taste
Instructions
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Cook the rigatoni in well salted water. per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water.
-
While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
-
Add the onion and zucchini then cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
-
Add the asparagus and sliced garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
-
Add the crushed red pepper flakes and grape tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
-
Add the drained pasta and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the balsamic vinegar. Add a few tablespoons of reserved cooking water then toss until well coated and reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Add a little more reserved cooking water, if needed.
-
Add the basil and pine nuts then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated parmesan on the side. Enjoy!
Original Author: Produced by Pam and published on 29/04/2020 Source