Pasta Raccolta Estivo

Today I'm sharing this post with the readers from The Frugal Foodie Mama to celebrate Carrie's (Frugal Foodie Mama herself) birthday week!

We love Italian food in my house.  My grandparents were Italian - something must have been passed down I guess.  And I think that Italian food is a wonderful way to use the beautiful produce that comes from the garden throughout the year.

In the spring, we make Pasta Primavera.  Pasta Primavera is a dish that consists of pasta and fresh vegetables.  The dish may contain almost any kind of vegetable, but cooks tend to stick to firm, crisp vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, peas, onions and green bell peppers, with tomatoes. Pasta primavera is usually highlighted by light flavors, aromatic herbs and bright colors ('primavera' meaning spring).

Cacciatore showcases fall flavors.  Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine.

I've always thought we needed a special dish for summer - something between primavera and cacciatore.  Something that is simple to make, light and quick to assemble.  So we created Pasta Raccolta Estivo - pasta from the summer harvest.  We

Pasta Raccolta Estivo

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces vermicelli (angel hair pasta)
• 1½ cups diced tomatoes with liquid (of 1 15 ounce can)
• 1 red onion, cut in julienne strips
• 2 sweet bell peppers, cut into julienne strips
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly slices
• ½ tsp salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• handful of basil, chopped
• 4½ cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen) peas or sweet corn
• 1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• chopped hot peppers (such as jalapeno or habanero) to taste (if desired)

Directions:

Place pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic, basil, salt and black pepper in a large skillet. Pour in vegetable broth.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated until there is about one inch of liquid left in the bottom of the pot.

Add peas and cooked chicken and stir.  Simmer for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are heated.

Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and hot peppers (if used).

We loved this spicy and creamy pasta dish.  The flavors of the herbs and vegetables blend together wonderfully with the creamy sour cream, and the heat from the hot peppers was the perfect addition.  This was so easy to make - and with just one skillet to wash afterwards, we had a lot of time to enjoy our summer evening!

Thanks for reading along as always, and be sure to stop by and wish Carrie over at The Frugal Foodie Mama a Happy Birthday!

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