| Prep: 25 mins | Cook: 40 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 495 | 20g | 10g | 65g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 8g | 7g | 18g | 0.76g |
Why I Love French Pasta with Autumn Vegetable Sauce
There’s a swath of romanticism that sweeps over me whenever I prepare this French-inspired Pasta with Autumn Vegetable Sauce. As soon as the aroma begins to waft through my Miami kitchen, my heart sails across the ocean. While my roots are planted firmly in Cuban and Spanish culinary traditions, my appetite for cooking spans the globe, and I find myself often drawn to the rustic, soul-warming dishes of France.
A French Classic with a Twist
This dish immediately reminds me of Julia Child, the queen of French cuisine, who inspired many to venture into the art of French cooking. While I can’t say Child directly inspired this specific recipe, I can say her overall influence on my cooking style is undeniable.
The Pasta with Autumn Vegetable Sauce is a robust, savory dish packed with vegetables, pasta, aromatic herbs, and a luxurious cream-and-tomato- based sauce. It’s the kind of meal that warms you up from inside. And while the vast array of vegetables harvested in fall adds depth and flavor to the dish, you can easily substitute some of your family’s favorite veggies and make this recipe your own.
Pairings and Compliments
Pairing wise, I’d opt for a light, airy side salad, possibly spinach, spritzed with a simple vinaigrette. The bitter earthiness of spinach or arugula would be a refreshing respites against the creaminess of the dish. And for wine? I can’t think of a more magical pairing than a crisp, dry Chardonnay to cut through the richness of the sauce.
Though this dish definitely holds its own, it’s positioned to work beautifully with a selection of French appetizers. Perhaps, a plate of Ratatouille like this one, could be a colorful, tangy precursor that harmonizes with the pasta.
At the end of the day, cooking is not just about the ingredients and techniques. It’s about how food brings people together, how it sparks conversation, and how it makes people feel nourished and loved. This Pasta with Autumn Vegetable Sauce does just that. It’s a generous dish, big-hearted and bountiful – a real exemplar of why I love French cuisine.
What You’ll Need
- 1 pound of pasta
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups of diced butternut squash
- 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Method
Step One
Start by preparing all the vegetables. Dice the carrot, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and butternut squash, then mince the garlic. Set all the vegetables aside.
Step Two
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the garlic and onion to the pan and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. This should take around 4-5 minutes.
Step Three
Add the diced carrot, zucchini, bell peppers, and butternut squash to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, then continue to sauté the vegetables until they become slightly softened, which would take around 10-15 minutes.
Step Four
Pour the chicken or vegetable broth into the pan, along with the canned diced tomatoes and their juice. Stir everything together, then add the dried thyme and rosemary. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the vegetables simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step Five
While the vegetables are simmering, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
Step Six
After the vegetables have simmered, pour the heavy cream into the pan and stir well. Let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes to thicken.
Step Seven
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until the pasta is fully coated. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the pasta and stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce.
Step Eight
Adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve the pasta with a bit more parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy your Pasta with Autumn Vegetable Sauce!
