Pasta primavera is Italian for springtime pasta, with a focus on bountiful spring veggies. Rather than being light, most versions of pasta primavera include a rich cream and Parmesan sauce over pasta — no one’s definition of healthful! Replace the pasta with zucchini “noodles” and create a “cream” sauce made of cashew butter to transform this dish into a slimmer, sexier version of its former self.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick half-moon slices onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups 1/4-inch-thick sliced white mushrooms
- 1 cup 1/4-inch-thick sliced carrots
- 1 cup 1/4-inch-thick sliced red bell peppers
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons cashew butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into long strands with a julienne peeler or mandolin
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green, tender-crisp and slightly undercooked, 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, carrots and peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Combine with the broccoli.
- Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; immediately reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cashew butter until the mixture is smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss with the vegetables.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve the zucchini “pasta” topped with the vegetables.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 236 calorie |
| Total Fat | 16.8 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 2.7 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams |
| Sodium | 269 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 18.7 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.3 grams |
| Protein | 7 grams |
| Sugar | 7.3 grams |