Easy, Classic Spaghetti Recipe With a Healthy Twist (As Seen On TV)

Hey Friends!!

It's that time again! Me and (Chef) Alex have created some healthy twists on classic Italian faves you've grown to love over the years, with mindfulness of the fact that some of you may not have all of the groceries / ingredients you typically do at home right now.

Our first dish is an Italian Spring favorite: (did you know that primavera means "Spring" in Italian?) Spaghetti!

We know that a lot of folks are used to having traditional meat in their spaghetti, but we wanted to put a veggie twist on this one, since getting enough vitamins (especially vitamin C) is so important right now!

Did you know that RED peppers have more Vitamin C than an orange?? Vitamin C is not only essential for your immune system and has been proven to have an anti-viral effect against diseases, like Covid-19, it's also great for your skin, too!

Now, while this is the way we typically like to make our healthier version of spaghetti, don't feel limited by your ingredients! It's the perfect time to experiment and be creative, and with such basic dishes, like this, there really is no wrong way to make it (if you like it - that's all that matters!!).

Here's what you'll need to make your Heathy Spaghetti:

-Cookie Sheet Pan, Parchment Paper

-Pasta of choice (any pasta will do!!)

-Veggies (we typically enjoy using carrots, mushrooms, red peppers and onions, but love to change it up with other veggies, too, like zucchini, squash, carrots and yellow peppers -- AS SHOWN BELOW!)

-Tomato sauce (or cherry tomatoes)

-Spices, EVOO, herbs of choice, red pepper flakes if you like a little heat like us (optional)

Directions: 

Cut all of the veggies up into small strips and bake on your cookie sheet -- depending on how thinly you chop them-- for 20 minutes on around 400 degrees should do (up to 420 degrees, depending on how hot your oven gets).

Boil pasta until it's "al dente" - follow instructions for the time.

Drain pasta and set aside one cup of (cooking) water.

In the same (pasta) pot, add a little bit of EVOO and chopped clove of garlic and let it cook for two minutes on a low temperature (be careful to not burn garlic) then add sauce and cook for another two minutes.

Add pasta to your sauce, along with the cup of water you put aside, and mix together.

Add veggies to your pot (with all the juices from tray) and mix it all together slowly so the veggies don't fall apart.

Put the lid on the pot and turn off your burner. Let it rest for 4-5 minutes, serve and mangia!

Dust with parmesan for extra flavor if you prefer! 

Pro Tip: If you don't have tomato sauce, you can use cherry tomatoes! Just slice and cook them with your veggies (as shown below) and they will melt into your pasta to form a light sauce. 

Happy Creating! 

XOXO

Jentri & Alex 

ps. if you dig this, try our twist on a healthy lasagna recipe!! 

pps. watch our TV segment on these dishes below!