One Skillet Pasta Primavera alla Vodka
One Skillet Pasta Primavera alla Vodka
A perfectly hearty and tender ziti pasta is cooked with handfuls of vibrant fresh veggies and tossed with a creamy and vibrant vodka sauce!
Ingredients
- 1-2 slices of uncooked bacon, diced small
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (or go all out with duck fat like we did - it was left over!)
- A variety of fresh vegetables, finely chopped:
- 3 asparagus spears
- 3 small carrots
- 1/2 a zucchini
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 cups vodka sauce (about 1/2-3/4 of a jar)
- 1 package of ziti or penne
- 4-5 bocconcini mozzarella balls, sliced in half (or small chunks of mozzarella if you're cutting from a log)
Directions
- Step 1 Place the slice of bacon in a skillet and begin cooking over medium low heat.
- Step 2 Add olive oil or 1 TBSP of duck fat for extra flavor! Add garlic and chopped vegetables to the skillet. Sauté until soft, about 5-10 minutes.
- Step 3 Start boiling your pasta water and cook ziti per package directions.
- Step 4 Add vodka sauce to the skillet and keep the pan simmering over low heat. Add the small halves of mozzarella on top and allow to melt into the sauce.
- Step 5 Stir in cooked pasta at the very end and serve. Top with fresh parmesan or ricotta, season with salt and pepper.
It’s Monday (officially my least favorite day of the week these days), and after a very “busy” weekend of eating and drinking here (don’t believe me, our insta was on fire!), I’d usually hold off on making a pasta dish until later in the week… but Marc took over tonight and ran with this pasta dish that literally knocked my socks off! This pasta primavera mash up, served in a rich and vibrant vodka sauce, is seasoned with fresh veggies, creamy mozzarella and parmesan. It’s the “kitchen sink” of delicious pastas, just throw in any seasonal veggies you’re craving, toss with sauce, and voila! dinner is served! And all in one skillet to boot.
I have gone through such a rut of cooking and posting this past month. I am just so overwhelmed and burnt out by this whole WFH thing. I know I’m not alone here by a long shot but, 6 months in to this pandemic, and I still haven’t found a great solution! I recently read an article entitled 2020 Will Be The Death Of The Working Mother and while it gave me some good laughs, the frightening reality was seeing my own day-to-day experiences mirrored on the page. Here’s to hoping and praying that won’t be me! And if it is, maybe the flip side will be finding more time to work on the blog? #wishfulthinking!
In any case, having Marc take the reins tonight and treat me to this incredible dish was such a nice night off. I spent the time I would’ve been meal prepping to escape and ride the peloton AND start a yoga class. I say start because my kids found me halfway through and started using me as a human slide, so that was the end of that. But I got 25 minutes of a solid work out, so that can be a win today. And my 3 year old napped for the first time in months, so another win. Maybe today wasn’t such a bad Monday after all!
You can go all out if you want to and make your own vodka sauce (it’s not that complicated, I promise!) – we walk you through all the steps in this easy recipe. Or as always – I’m here to make your life easy – just pick up a jar at the store! Two of our favorites are Classico and Stew Leonard’s brand. Another pro tip – omit the bacon and make this a Meatless Monday superstar, OR serve it with some extra protein like we did, featuring our crispy heirloom chicken thighs. So many options, yet truly so simple! We hope you enjoy every bite!
