I am absolutely loving this year’s crop of fresh veggies from my local farm stand! With corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and basil abundant this time of year, I created this fresh and healthy recipe for Late Summer Harvest Pasta Primavera. It turned out so delicious that my husband ate FOUR plates of it! One wasn’t enough so he went for seconds, followed by thirds because he said it was just so darn good that he didn’t want to stop eating it, then finally a small portion for round four to keep the flavors coming! I’d say this is a winning recipe, one you’ll feel good about eating, and a great way to use up some of those last tomatoes and zucchinis from this glorious garden season!
Late Summer Harvest Pasta Primavera
Serves: 4 hungry adults
Time: 40 minutes total
4 ears of corn
2 cups red grape tomatoes
2 cups golden grape tomatoes
2 zucchinis
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced into long strips (chiffonade)
¼ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
8 oz. cherry sized fresh mozzarella balls, each cut in half
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if making the vegetarian version)
freshly ground pepper
salt
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. pasta (my favorite for this recipe is campanelle but any loose spiral shaped pasta or even pappardelle would work wonderfully)
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil as you shuck the corn. Once the water is boiling, add the ears of corn and cook for about 4 minutes, until slightly tender. Remove corn from water and rest at room temperature. Once cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cobs.
2. Fill another medium to large sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package’s instructions. (Meanwhile, begin step #3.) Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
3. Cut each of the grape tomatoes in half. Place in a medium sized skillet with the EVOO and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes begin to slightly burst, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes over medium heat. Pour in the white wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchinis into thin ribbons. Cut each ribbon to a length of about 2 inches. Add the zucchini, corn, pasta, scallions, and ¼ cup of the basil to the tomato mixture. Pour in the chicken (or vegetable) broth. Toss to coat and bring to a light simmer over medium-low heat.
5. To serve, top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining basil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.
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