Lately, I haven’t really been in the mood to cook. Life’s been crazy busy, and ordering Thai takeout is just so stinkin easy! Despite my hectic weekend, I was inspired to get back at it after a quick Publix trip.
A woman was sampling Galileo salami and pepperoni and my growling tummy guided me to her table to try some. It was pretty standard salami, but my hunger paired with the cute little recipe card with a tasty looking veggie + pasta dish on it was enough to make me decide that dinner was going to include this salami. The woman also gave me a $1.00 off coupon, which certainly didn’t hurt.
I already had some veggies in my cart, but I walked back to the produce section to grab some summer squash, zucchini, and some cherry tomatoes for the dish. More veggies in my cart is never a bad thing.
My initial thought when I got home with everything was to make a cold pasta salad. But after looking a little closer, this particular recipe was served warm, with a white wine butter sauce. Cooking with wine is definitely an excuse to pour myself a glass to enjoy :-)
So, I got to cooking and was done and ready to eat in the time it took to boil water and cook my (whole wheat) pasta! That’s a win in my book, since I usually find really involved and complicated recipes to delve into!
So if you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal, look no further! Grab some of your favorite veggies, some short cut pasta and you’re well on your way! Though it may not feel like spring where you are, hopefully this veggie-licious dish will help you keep your head up and thinking that spring WILL be just around the corner 
Spring Pasta Dinner
(adapted from Galileo’s recipe for Pasta Primavera)
Ingredients:
~1/2 lb short cut pasta (I used orecchiette)
1 tbs olive oil
3 tbs butter, divided
1 cup Galileo sliced salami, shredded (leave this out to make it vegetarian!)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets, small
1/2 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 small summer squash, quartered and sliced
~1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 large handfuls of spinach
1 cup white wine
1/2 grated cheese (I used Digiorno 3 cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
(Please note, the vegetable amounts are estimates. I used what I had on hand, you can use more or less of anything you want!)
How to:
Cook your pasta.
Meanwhile, chop your veggies and salami and heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat.
When the butter/oil combo is nice and hot, add the sliced onions, garlic, and salami. Cook until the onions start to caramelize. Add the broccoli and mushrooms, cooking for another minute or two. Then add the zucchini and summer squash. Stir frequently and let the veggies cook for a few more minutes. Don’t let them get soggy! When the broccoli is nice and green, and the squash looks just about cooked, add the wine and cook let it simmer for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes right after you’ve added the wine- you just want to heat them through; otherwise they’ll get really mushy! Season with salt and pepper and add the final two tablespoons of butter and stir while it is still simmering. Add a dash (or more) of red pepper flake if you’d like.
In a large bowl, add the fresh spinach. When the pasta is done, drain it, and then pour it directly onto the bed of spinach. Top with the vegetable sauce. Toss to wilt the spinach. Finish with shredded cheese and you’re ready to dig in!
