Spaghetti with Vegetable Sauce

This is an appetizing vegetarian pasta dish, with bright colors and captivating flavor.

SERVING: Servings 4

INGREDIENTS:

• ¾ lb spaghetti
• 2 oz bell peppers
• 2 oz eggplant
• 2 oz carrot
• 2 oz leek
• 2 oz plum tomatoes
• 2 oz peas
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 basil leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

METHOD:

1. Wash and prep all of the vegetables.
2. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds from the peppers and then dice the peppers, eggplants, carrots and leek so that they are more or less the same size.
3. Bare in mind that the smaller the dice, the more quickly it will cook.

THEN BEGIN COOKING THE VEGETABLES FOR THE SAUCE

1. Begin by blanching the peas in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and transfer immediately into cold water so that they keep their bright green color.
2. Then cook the vegetables one by one, putting them in a pan with a little 100% Italian olive oil and seasoning them with a pinch of salt.
3. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, adding a couple tbsp water so that they don’t dry out.
4. Continue cooking until soft, then place them on a plate and continue cooking the remaining vegetables following the same instructions.
5. When cooking the eggplant, be sure to use a little extra olive oil.
6. Cook the peppers last, and once they are done, add the remaining cooked vegetables to the pan, including the peas, finely minced garlic and quartered tomatoes.
7. If necessary, adjust salt and pepper and cook for a couple more minutes.
8. In the meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water.
9. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan of vegetables.
10. Add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and remaining extra virgin olive oil.
11. Give a finishing touch to the pasta, by add the basil leaves.
12. Serve hot, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

NOTES:

When making a vegetable pasta sauce, you should feel free to add other ingredients.

As a general rule, use at least 5 different types of seasonal vegetables and make sure you use the same amount of vegetables and pasta.

If you want to make the pasta dish even more original, try using whole wheat spaghetti.

Source and picture: Academia Barilla

BUON MANGIATA! 

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