Pasta-free primavera seems like an oxymoron, don’t you think? Well, good news: This is a dish for those who love pasta but who want to nix some carbs from their diets can enjoy without any guilt at all.
But how?
First, forget about the semolina that sits in your cupboard; instead, pick Ellen Chadwick’s healthy alternative: cabbage. Yes, cabbage.
Chef Chadwick, who labors in Lake Tahoe at making lighter Italian dishes from those that are traditional, simply shreds the cabbage and sautés the vegetables in olive oil to create the base for this dish.
Now the other challenge: To keep the dish meatless yet full of protein. This chef adds white beans for that purpose.
That done, the presentation became quite alluring since the cabbage and the white beans served as a neutral background, allowing all the other ingredients to pop with color.
OK, so ready to make this pasta-free primavera yourself. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cabbage, shredded
- 2 brown or yellow onions, chopped
- 2 or 3 Broccoli crowns, cut into tiny, bite-sized pieces
- 3 yellow bell peppers, slivered
- 1 can of small peas
- 1 can of black olives sliced
- 1 can of small white beans
- Olive oil
- Fresh, pre-made pesto is sold in a jar from your local specialty store.
Instructions:
In a large fry pan, sauté the onions until translucent, then add the cabbage, already salted and peppered to taste. Continue to sauté while you add the entire jar of pesto. In the meantime, cook the broccoli until al dente, and then thoroughly drain. In the next step, drain all canned foods and add to them the sauté mixture along with the broccoli and the peppers. Then heat for five more minutes, nd you’re good to go, so go serve.
After all your guests are satiated, you’ll know the answer to this question: Is ppastrami-free primaveraa possible? Definitely, and so much so that even pasta lovers will thrive on Chef Ellen Chadwick’s recipe. Don’t think so? Just take a look at all those clean plates.