Pasta Primavera

Friends!  Its been so long!  I've been a bit distracted with my baby bump, but my hubby was delighted tonight when I pulled out this little ditty.  I'm always looking for ways to make veg yummy, especially while eating for two.  This was uber yummy and was an acceptable level of difficulty.  The hardest part is the chopping and I suggest delegating that to your sous chef (husband) or indulge in pre-chopped veg.     

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 1 onion, 2 bell peppers, 1 head broccoli
• olive oil
• salt, freshly ground pepper, thyme, garlic salt, oregano, parsley
• 1 pound fusilli pasta  
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbs chopped garlic (roasted is yummy)
• chicken bouillon for 1 cup
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice the veg in thin strips, mix in a large bowl with olive oil and spices, spread on two baking sheets, and bake at 450 for 20 minutes, stir after 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest. 

Sauté olive oil and chopped garlic until light brown, stir in reserve liquid and bullion, then add pasta and stir to coat.   

Combine pasta, veg, tomatoes and parmesan.  I like serving with even more parmesan and hot crusty Italian bread. 

To make it healthier, eliminate olive oil from the sauté mix, only add parmesan at the table and use wheat or spelt pasta. 

Good appetite!

Pumkin Tortellini with Butter Sage Sauce

I've had tortellini in butter sage sauce in restaurants and just figured it would be too hard to try at home. This was the easiest thing I've cooked in a looooong time.  And it was absolutely delish.  I bought the pumpkin tortellini premade at my fancy grocer and whipped the sauce up in about 15 minutes.  I served with hot Italian bread and fancy olive oil.  This is a departure from my normally healthy, fresh, clean recipes, but it was so worth it.  And baby liked it :)

• 1 tablespoon butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage leaves
• 3 tablespoons mascarpone
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 bag pumpkin filled pasta (or butternut squash)
• 1/4 cup grated Pecroino Romano
• Salt and pepper

Melt the butter with a pinch of pepper, the sage, and mascarpone. Add heavy cream and reduce to a thick sauce for about 10 minutes. Boil the pasta, then add to the sauce and toss over low heat until well coated. Add the cheese and salt and pepper, to taste. (Source: Food Network) Good Appetite!