Pasta Autunnale

Serves: 4 - 5

With autumn in full swing it’s time to eat veggies that are in season. I created this recipe for my first team cooking class and the original recipe had butternut squash in it but that sauce took an hour to cook therefore had to come up with a version we can make in ½ an hour. This one is full of flavour and you can omit the pancetta to make it a vegetarian option. If you are vegan, no problem…omit the pancetta and substitute vegan cheese for the parmesan.

Serve with homemade baguettes to scoop up the yummy sauce from the plate. That's the Italian way!

Ingredients

500 grams dried pasta

Water

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

150 gram cubed pancetta

2 julienned bell peppers

3 sliced shallots

3 cups diced zucchini

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 tsp garlic salt

½ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups vegetable broth

2 diced roma tomatoes

4 cups spinach

¾ cup grated parmesan

2 finely chopped hot peppers – optional

¼ cup grated parmesan for garnish

Directions

1. Fill large saucepan with hot water and salt and bring to a boil.

2. Cook pasta to your liking

3. Heat oil in large skillet on high heat and add pancetta

4. Cook pancetta for 5 minutes then scoop pancetta out with slotted spoon and set aside

5. Add peppers and shallots and sauté for 2 minutes

6. Stir in zucchini, cabbage, garlic salt, rosemary and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes

7. Mix in tomato paste, vegetable broth and tomatoes until well combined and cover for 6 minutes stirring occasionally

8. Add spinach and reduce heat to low and let simmer covered for 10 minutes

9. Stir in pancetta and cover stirring occasionally

10. Strain pasta and add it to skillet and mix well

11. Add ¾ cup parmesan and hot peppers and mix well

12. Plate pasta

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  Yummy pasta autunnale

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  Ingredients pasta autunnale

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  Use scissors to cut hot pepper

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  Veggies ready

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  Cook pancetta

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  Scoop out with slotted spoon

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  Sauté peppers and shallots

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  Stir in veggies

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  Add spices

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  Add paste and broth

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  Add fresh tomatoes

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  Stir in spinach

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  Stir in pancetta

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  Add pasta to sauce

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  Add parmesan and hot peppers

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  Ready to plate

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  Delicious pasta autunnale