Mushroom Pasta Primavera

I was really excited to find this recipe in the August/September 'Taste of Home' magazine because it gave me a chance to use some of the vegetables that are just now ripe enough to pick from my garden.  This is a great summer pasta dish-- light enough to enjoy on a hot day, inexpensive, and altogether pretty healthy!  It was also a great option for my milk allergy son as he was able to simply eat his without the Parmesan sprinkled on top.

My one bit of advice would be to have all of your vegetables chopped and ready before starting to cook them.  The magazine offers a great tip as well, which I learned from my mother years ago.  The recipe calls for peeled tomatoes.  In order to peel them easily, drop them into boiling water for about a minute, then immediately into ice cold water.  The skins will peel right off for you.  If you want to save a step, I really am not so sure that you need to peel them in the first place.  I think it would be just fine with the skins left on, and actually might allow the tomatoes to hold up a little better in the cooking process.

Mushroom Pasta Primavera


1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole garlic bulb, peeled and minced
15 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pound cooked pasta (I used fettuccine)
Parmesan cheese to top

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in oil until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, peppers, water, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  Stir occasionally.  Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until tender.  Serve over the cooked pasta.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Source: Slightly Adapted from "Taste of Home" magazine (August/September 2010)