Zucchini Ribbon Primavera

I've had my eye on this Zucchini Ribbon Primavera recipe since I saw it pictured in the Spring/Summer 2011 Pampered Chef Catalogue. So when FedEx delivered my new julienne peeler, I knew exactly what I would make first. Both my new peeler and this recipe did not disappoint!

The colorful, light pasta dish is filled with seasonal ingredients and packed with flavor. Best of all, my kiddos ate both the pasta AND the veggies in this dish. I just love it when I can sneak in a little extra nutrition.

Here's the little cornucopia of garden goods used in this recipe: fresh basil, shallots, garlic, carrots, zucchini, and a red bell pepper.

My oldest daughter was excited to help with dinner tonight, so I tasked her with "squishing" the garlic cloves using our handy garlic press. I've bragged about this gadget before HERE. It's a great gadget!

Then, I supervised as she pulervized the shallots to a fine chop using the Pampered Chef Chopper.

Add the garlic and shallot to some olive oil, heated in a skillet, and cook and stir until fragrant. Don't walk away while the garlic and shallots heat up, if they burn you'll have to start all over again!

During this step, my daughter kept complaining that the shallots were burning her eyes. She finally asked me to take over for a minute so that she could take a break.

She returned with a solution: she was sporting her swim goggles. Isn't she resourceful? This totally cracked me up!

Next we added a combination of chicken broth and a dry white wine (I went with Winking Owl Chardonnay, purchased at ALDI for $3.39/bottle). Cover the mixture and bring it to a simmer.

Then add in the pasta. Whole grain pasta is recommended, but I only had the regular "stuff" on hand, so we used that. Whole grain pasta would definitely be a way to make this healthy dish even healthier by adding more protein and dietary fiber.

Cover the skillet and let the pasta cook for 7-9 minutes until tender.

While the pasta cooked, I grabbed my new julienne peeler.

It turned the zucchini and carrots into long, thin, uniform strips with ease and in just minutes. It was so fun to use and I was super impressed with the results.

Once the pasta is ready, stir in 3-4 oz. of reduced fat cream cheese until it melts.

Then turn off the heat and add the remainder of the veggies: the julienned zucchini and carrot, the sliced red pepper, and the chopped fresh basil. Toss with the pasta until combined. I re-covered the skillet and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the veggies to soften a bit before serving.

Dish it up and serve with parmesan cheese. YUM!

Will your kids eat it? My oldest immediately announced, "I am NOT eating this. Please give me some plain noodles!" I told her I would be happy to give her plain noodles, but she had to take a "real" bite of the primavera pasta first. After one bite, she didn't actually admit that she liked it. Instead she said, "Okay, I'll eat it, but only if you put more in my bowl first!" Ha! She ate the whole serving! Zucchini and carrots too (but she did pick out the peppers). My youngest didn't complain at all. She loved this dish!

Zucchini Ribbon Primavera from The Pampered Chef and altered slightly by me.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots
4 garlic cloves, pressed
3 1/4 cups (800 mL) unsalted chicken stock
3/4 cup (175 mL) dry white wine such as Chardonnay
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
6 oz (175 g) uncooked protein-enriched multigrain thin spaghetti noodles
2 medium zucchini
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3-4 oz (90 g) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
3/4 oz (20 g) Parmesan cheese (see Cook’s Tip)

Directions:
1.Heat oil in Executive (12-in./30-cm) Skillet (do not use stainless cookware) over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Finely chop shallots with Food Chopper. Add shallots and pressed garlic to Skillet; cook 30-45 seconds or until fragrant. Add stock, wine, salt and black pepper; cook, covered, 3-4 minutes or until simmering. Add noodles; cook, covered, 7-8 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile,cut zucchini and carrots into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler. Thinly slice bell pepper and coarsely chop basil using Chef's Knife. Add cream cheese to Skillet; stir until fully incorporated using Small Mix 'N Scraper®;. Remove Skillet from heat. Add zucchini, carrots, bell pepper and basil; toss gently with Chef's Tongs. Divide pasta among serving plates; garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.Yield: 4 servings

Nutrients per serving: (1 1/4 cups pasta): Calories 360, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 42 g, Protein 18 g, Sodium 450 mg, Fiber 5 g

U.S. Diabetic Exchanges Per Serving: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 high-fat meat (2 1/2 carb)

Cook's Tips: Substituting protein-enriched multigrain pasta for regular pasta in meatless recipes is an easy way to add protein and fiber into your diet.

Use Vegetable Peeler to shave Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!