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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Bow-Tie Pasta with Fresh Vegetable Sauce



I chose the recipe as it is somewhat different from our usual pasta dishes. I liked that it called for zucchini and squash, which are favorites of mine. Unfortunately, Rodney doesn't care for either of them. This one I prepared at risk of being shut-down by Rodney.

When I made it, I followed the original recipe exactly except I eased up on the cheese a little since we only had about half the amount called for.  Oh, and Rodney's lactose-intolerant. 

Bow-Tie Pasta with Fresh Vegetable Sauce

8 oz. farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium yellow squash, chopped
3 1/2 c chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 c fresh corn kernels or frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 c (4 oz.) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook farfalle in large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook onion in oil in large saucepan over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; cook 30 to 60 seconds or until fragrant.


Add zucchini and squash; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until soft.


Add tomatoes, corn, basil, salt and pepper; cook 7 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.


In large bowl, toss farfalle with sauce and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Serve sprinkled with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
 

When making this, I was worried the zucchini and squash would get really mushy. I made it a point to chop the vegetables fairly coursely and cooked each step for the minimum amount of time. What I didn't take into consideration was that the canned diced tomatoes I had used would be wind up as huge chunks of hot tomato, which Rodney and I don't particularly care for.

As I'd suspected, Rodney didn't care for this recipe AT ALL. He ate the pasta out of his bowl, but the vegetables remained. At least there wasn't any meat so the worms could eat what Rodney didn't want.

There was plenty for both of us (even if Rodney had liked it). So I have some left for lunch! For two, maybe three, days.

Total cost:

  • pasta: $0.50 (a guess)
  • sweet onion: $0.50 (a guess)
  • diced tomatoes: $2
  • zucchini: $0.68
  • squash: $1.08
  • frozen corn: $0.50 (a guess)
  • fresh basil: $0.25 (a guess)
  • cheese: $2 (another guess)
$7.51. Or about $1.50 a serving. How cheap can a fairly quick and healthy meal be? It is too bad Rodney didn't like this one. I wouldn't mind having it again, that's for sure.


I took some of this to work with me for lunch 08/21/09 and it was even better the second day. The pasta absorbed the juices, making it fantastic. The remaining leftovers will have to have a splash or two of Tabasco and they'll be screamin' good! Normally, I cook my pasta so that there is still quite a bite, which worked out well. As the pasta absorbs the juices, it gets a bit softer. Keep an eye on how long the pasta cooks initially or it could end up too soft later.


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