Pasta Primavera Garlic and Oil

Pasta will always be a comfort food in my opinion. The beauty of using pasta as a main dish is the versatility and endless options of add-ins. You can add chicken, beef, vegetables, seafood, cream sauce, marinara, pomodoro, or keep it simple with a garlic and oil. When I am at a restaurant, if I don’t order Rigatoni with Sausage - which I have a version of coming soon - I usually order a pasta primavera with garlic and oil. Thus, my inspiration for this pasta primavera garlic and oil rendition.

Primavera is another versatile option as the possibilities are endless when it comes to adding in vegetables. I am a green-veggie lover, so it goes without saying that spinach and broccoli are part of my primavera. We had some organic brussel sprouts in the fridge too, so these became the third green vegetable added to the mix. A few weeks ago, I accidentally ordered two large bags of carrots, so no better time than a primavera to add in sliced carrots. Oh, and some yellow onion, because why not?

I started by rinsing and chopping broccoli and brussel sprouts, and slicing a large carrot. I added these vegetables to a bowl and sliced the onion. I love using large pans for big vegetable dishes, so I grabbed my trusty pan and poured in two tablespoons of avocado oil and threw in the onions. The onions sautéed until slightly translucent and fragrant, then I added in the other veggies. Spinach cooks fast, so this is added approximately 15 minutes after the other vegetables started to soften. I added more oil and the chopped garlic, hence garlic and oil. Once the vegetables were very soft (I usually test with broccoli, if it falls apart with the push of a wooden spoon, it is done), I tossed in another tablespoon of avocado oil and threw over boiled pasta of choice.

Substitutions:

• Pasta: feel free to use any pasta with this dish! I love Banza or Jovial Foods, but I also appreciate a fresh pasta. It all depends on what you want to have.
• Vegetables: take out the brussel sprouts or broccoli, and add in cauliflower. Nix the spinach and add in kale. The possibilities are endless.
• Oil: I don’t prefer to use coconut oil, but you certainly could give it a try. Another oil that’s great for this is olive oil.