fettucine portobello primavera

happy spring! i thought i’d celebrate the change of season with a little primavera. some fresh organic veggies from the farmers’ market, some lovely fettucine and some classical vivaldi to sway to in the kitchen, and you’ve got the perfect way to welcome springtime!

when making a primavera, i like to use veggies in a variety of colours to make the dish really sing. red bell peppers, yellow zucchini, fresh green arugula & earthy portobello mushroom made up a lovely culinary palette.

prep veggies:
– 1/2 yellow zucchini (sliced rounds)
– 1 small red bell pepper (pitted, seeded, sliced)

– 1 portobello mushroom (sliced)

 (tip: gently clean portobello mushroom under running water. carefully remove & discard dark gills using a spoon to scrape them off.)

the fettucine:
– boil 1/2 pkg of your favorite fettucine pasta noodles (al dente)
– drain & set aside

sauté veggies:
– heat up 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) in large saucepan on medium heat
– add peppers & zucchini to pan
– season w/ ground black peppercorns & dash of salt
– simmer & stir occasionally for 3-4min until peppers & zucchini are semi-softened
– add portobello mushroom to pan
– add 1/4 cup light vegetarian creamcheese & 1/3 cup skim milk
– 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (drizzled)
– add 1/2 cup organic fresh arugula
– ground black peppercorns to taste
– fold veggies into creamcheese & milk until cheese is melted, fully incorporated and smoothes into a sauce
– simmer & stir occasionally for 4-5min

food styling:
– plate a generous helping of primavera veggies on a small serving of fettucine
– season w/ a dash of ground black peppercorns