It’s crazy to think, but spring is already blending into summer! Here in Canada, spring always gets a late start, so you’ll have to pardon me that I’m only starting to post my spring recipes now. However, I’ve got lots of tasty summer recipes on the way which will keep you feeling both refreshed and refueled. Today I add my own twist on a fresh summer pasta dish – Pasta Primavera. Funnily enough, as I looked up a little background for this recipe, I learned that Pasta Primavera was actually invented in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the more you know!

Even though I call it Pasta Primavera, it differs from the original in a few key ways. First off, there is no cream in the sauce but instead has a fresher, more acidic taste relying on lemon juice and olive oil to make up the sauce. Additionally, the dish is jammed packed with a medley of fresh herbs to vibrant taste just like the bright, green & crisp days of spring. Overall, this dish comes together relatively quickly and makes for a delicious weeknight meal. I hope you enjoy it on a lovely spring day soon!

Active time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 red onion, cut into thick semi-circles
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 300 grams spaghetti
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 8-10 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/3 cup olive oil (additional 2 tbsp needed to toss veggies)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 70g grated parmesan
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 220g baby spinach (8 oz)
• 1 bunch basil, leaves removed from stems
• 1 bunch oregano, leaves removed from stems (about a ¼ cup)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions

1. Set the oven to 425F and bring a large dutch oven of salted water to boil.
2. Toss the broccoli, red onion and red bell pepper with 2 tbsp olive oil, a few generous pinch of salt and some black pepper and place on two lined baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, tossing halfway, until well roasted.
3. Once the water is at a rolling boil, put in the spaghetti. Cook to package instructions. Before straining upon completion, ladle aside a few cups of pasta water. Strain the pasta and set it aside. 
4. Return the dutch oven to medium-low heat. Add in the olive oil, shallots, garlic, fresh thyme and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5-7 minutes until the shallots are turning translucent and fragrant. 
5. Add in the chili flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan, slivered almonds and baby spinach. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the spinach has all been wilted. Add in the fresh basil, oregano, nutritional yeast and salt. Stir to combine. 
6. Then add in the pasta and roasted vegetables. Mix to combine and add pasta water to add additional moisture to the dish. Taste and adjust the salt levels. Serve while warm and enjoy!