Pasta Primavera with Roasted Asparagus and Zucchini

My husband doesn’t care for pasta with alfredo or butter based sauces.  He prefers just good old spaghetti sauce with meat.  So when I wanted to serve Pasta Primavera as our once a week vegetarian meal, I had to do something other than the traditional primavera sauce with butter. 

Pasta Primavera combines olive oil, basil, parsley, balsamic vinegar, and the juices from roasted vegetables to make a “light on the waist line” pasta. 

This meal was a favorite with our youngest daughter.  With her little one-year-old fingers, she ate the pasta first then all of the roasted vegetables!  As our 5-year-old was telling us a story about her day at school, I glanced up to watch her put a julienned red pepper in her mouth and keep talking while chewing.  She told me she loved this pasta more than cookies.  (Although, I can’t believe 100% of that statement as her birthday party is just 4 days away and she is really trying hard to be the model child.)

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Asparagus and Zucchini

Serves 6

1 (12 ounce) package whole wheat rotini pasta

1 zucchini, halved and sliced

1 red bell pepper, julienned

10 ounces grape tomatoes

1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

10 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a bowl, toss zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in cooked pasta, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.