Wacka Flocka Flava: Summertime Pasta Primavera
This pasta primavera is perfect for a hot summer day. This dish is extremely colorful and matches the colorful summertime aesthetic, making it Instagram worthy. It would be perfect to take to gatherings or to meal prep for the week. The meats and vegetables used in this dish can be altered. The smell of this dish will have your mouth watering. This summertime pasta primavera is light, refreshing, and the perfect addition to your recipe book.
Below, there is an example of how to make this specific pasta primavera. However, this recipe can be altered and substituted to fit your individual liking, Therefore, the spices, vegetables, and meat are flexible and can be substituted. For example, broccoli could be added in addition to the vegetables listed below or as a substitute. Either way, it is hard to go wrong with this summertime pasta primavera.
Summertime Pasta Primavera (serves 7-8)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
Ground meat (We used turkey, but you can really use whatever ground meat you have on hand.):
1 lb ground turkey
Salt, Onion powder, Garlic Powder (to taste)
Vegetables
Cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 clove of garlic (can be minced)
1 ½ of a zucchini (thinly sliced)
1 yellow squash (thinly sliced)
1 green bell pepper (minced)
3 carrots (peeled and grated)
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
4 tbsp. Pesto
2 boxes of salad shell pasta
¼ of lemon juice (We used a freshly squeezed lemon)
Oregano, Parsley, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, and Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Wash and clean all vegetables.
2. Peel and shred carrots
3. Julienne 1 bell pepper, grape tomatoes, 1 ½ zucchini, and 1 yellow squash.
4. Begin boiling water in a large pot for the pasta. Once the water comes to a boil add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil before adding the pasta into the pot.
5. Add ground turkey to pan on medium high heat. Once turkey begins to brown, add olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the meat.
6. Combine olive oil and garlic to a large saucepan and brown the garlic. Once the garlic is browned, add all chopped vegetables to pan and cook until slightly softened
7. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, pesto, and fresh lemon juice.
8. Once the pasta has reached al dente, drain using a large strainer and then return it to the pot. Add three tablespoons of pesto and stir until all pasta is lightly coated.
9. Combine ground turkey, vegetables, and pasta and mix well.
Ratings:
Taste: 9
-I think it tasted good but it definitely needed more salt or spices and the veggies needed to be cut up more. This comes with better preparation and practice as well as more tasting and checking of the flavor throughout the cooking process.
Mouthfeel/consistency: 7
-There were multiple different consistencies which enhanced the dish but also slightly decreased the mouthfeel. The al dente noodles were cooked well but there was a texture difference between the vegetables and the meat.
Smell: 10
-Smells like a crisp summer day because of the veggies
Visual appeal: 10
-The look of it was amazing. The vegetables made the dish very colorful, especially combined with the pesto sauce.
Creativity: 9
-I think that we were creative in deciding something that we had not all had before. I think that we could have made an adjustment in the preparation of the meat in the dish.