Favorite Summer Dinner: Pasta Primavera

One of our favorite meals on the farm during the hot summer months is pasta primavera.  It's light, simple to make, and uses whatever summer vegetables we have in our gardens or what we have purchased from local farmers markets or Amish neighbors.  This past week, I actually used whatever I had left in the refrigerator, which happened to be onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and garlic.  I think the garlic is essential.

I used to saute the vegetables in butter, but due to gallbladder issues, we have switched to olive oil.  This is also more in line with the anti-inflammatory diet my husband and I try to adhere to as much as possible.

My husband has me hooked on cooking in cast iron skillets.  The only seasonings I added to this were salt and pepper, but if I use greens such as Swiss chard, kale, or spinach, I also add either balsamic vinegar or a locally made maple vinegar near the end of the cooking time.  Serve over the finished pasta, and add Parmesan cheese if desired.  Sometimes I sprinkle on some fresh parsley or oregano from our herb beds.  This is filling, tasty, but still light enough to go back outside to finish up weeding, mulching, mowing, or moving fence panels.  If it's a more relaxing evening, the meal is not too heavy to be followed by a dip in the pool or a hike up the mountain.  We often eat this weekly during the summer months.