The British cook describes pasta primavera as a “fresh, fairly healthy pasta recipe” that is brimming with “bright, colourful vegetables” that count towards your five-a-day.
Five-a-day is a UK Government initiative where Britons are encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day to promote better health.
Mary Berry’s pasta recipe makes enough for six people, so it’s an ideal meal that will easily benefit the whole family.
Even if you’re eating solo, or making dinner for a smaller number of people, leftovers can be eaten the very next day for lunch.
Ready to serve within 40 minutes, here’s how you can make Mary Berry’s wholesome and healthy pasta that is sure to become a favourite recipe.
Pasta primavera recipe
Serves: six people
Ingredients:
- Two tablespoons of olive oil
- Two large onions, peeled, halved and sliced thickly
- Two red peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces
- 350g small courgettes, thickly sliced
- 350g tagliatelle
- 225g broccoli florets
- 225g (asparagus tips
- Three to four tablespoons pesto, according to taste
- 200ml crème fraiche
- 50g freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/ Gas 7. Mix together the oil, uncooked onions and red pepper, seasoned with salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
2. Once tossed together, put those ingredients into a large roasting tin and roast in the pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes.
3. Make sure to add the courgettes 20 minutes into the cooking time, as this vegetable takes much quicker to roast than the others.
4. When there is about 10 minutes left on the 40-minute timer, boil the pasta in salted water, according to pack instructions.
5. In the last few minutes while the pasta is boiling, in the same pot, add the broccoli and asparagus tips, then drain and leave in a colander.
6. Now, heat the crème fraiche and pesto in the saucepan, return the pasta and roasted vegetables to the pan and toss together with some Parmesan cheese.
7. Serve immediately in a heated dish, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan – or however much you would enjoy.
Bear in mind that too much cheese, while delicious, is not the healthiest of choices, so if you want your dish to be super healthy, do cut down on the amount of cheese added to this recipe.
Why is cheese not healthy?
Too much Parmesan cheese is high in saturated fat content, which could increase cholesterol levels and, over time, with a lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet, could increase the risk of health conditions.
Should you indulge in excess cheese now and again, but your diet is relatively healthy and you exercise often, you are better protecting yourself against illness.
