Fresh Summer Vegetable Pasta
After our last trip to Petaluma's Green String Farm, I wanted to create a recipe that showcased some of the fantastic vegetables that we bought at the farm store there. My kids picked out a lot of cute little baby summer squash, and we had ripe red tomatoes, and a beautiful purple onion, too. Of course I wanted to make something that the kids would eat, too! We created this recipe that showcases these delicious summer vegetables.
We decided to make a creamy summer vegetable pasta with the little cheese ravioli from Trader Joes—my daughter loves them and insisted on having them for dinner. If you don't want to use the ravioli, you could use any kind of pasta shape for this recipe; penne or bow ties would be perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 bag dried Trader Joe's cheese ravioli, or 1 lb pasta of your choice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium purple onion, cut into half-moon slices
- 1 lb mixed baby summer squash, sliced
- 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 12 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Make béchamel sauce by melting butter in a saucepan and whisking in flour. Cook flour over medium heat for a few minutes, then whisk in milk bit by bit until a smooth sauce is formed. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat until shimmery. Add garlic and pepper flakes, if using, and saute until fragrant and lightly browned. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add squash and tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes or until squash is cooked through but still firm.
Stir in reserved béchamel sauce and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Stir gently until combined, then add basil leaves. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Stir in pasta until coated with sauce. Serve with additional grated parmesan cheese.
