In my continuing attempt to eat only what is already in my fridge and pantry all week, this recipe, which I found in WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook (Rodale, 2008), appealed to me because I knew I could adapt it easily. The original recipe was called "Happy Heart Pasta Primavera" and included shrimp, tomatoes and broccoli. Since I didn't have those items, I decided to increase the amounts of some of the other ingredients, like onions and carrots.
I imagine the original recipe is really delicious, because this scaled-back version was pretty good, too, for a simple Sunday night supper. From my CSA pick-up, I used onions, garlic, carrots and yellow squash, so I felt like this was a hit.
Note: According to the this cookbook, this dish features seven heart-healthy ingredients: whole-wheat grains, olive oil, onions, bell pepper, crushed red pepper, carrots and garlic. Serve it with a glass of red wine, and you've got an even eight.
WHOLE-WHEAT VEGGIE SPAGHETTI
Serves 2
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (I used Wegmans brand)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 small carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium to large yellow squash, sliced and quartered
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Prepare the spaghetti according to directions on box. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, squash, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook about 5 more minutes.
3. Put spaghetti in serving bowls, top with veggies and then with cheese.