Conchiglie with Vegetables

Shell pasta with vegetables is a colorful, tasty, and healthy dish, great for those who want a vegetarian meal full of flavors. Here is a recipe you might want to follow:

Ingredients

• 300 g of shell pasta
• 1 zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 1 small onion
• 200 g of cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil (optional)
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the shell pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, wash and cut the zucchini, bell pepper, and carrot into similarly sized cubes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the garlic and onion.
3. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion until they become translucent.
4. Add the carrots to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, then insert the bell peppers and after another 5 minutes, add the zucchini and finally the cherry tomatoes. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until they start to soften but still retain a bit of crunch.
5. Drain the al dente pasta and transfer it to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir to combine the ingredients well and let them flavor together for a minute.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you wish, add hand-torn fresh basil leaves to maintain their full flavor.
7. Serve hot, and if you like, you can finish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Curiosity

Did you know that conchiglie, which means “shells” in Italian, is a type of pasta that is particularly good at holding sauces and small vegetables in its hollow shape? This makes it an ideal choice for vegetable pasta dishes, as the nooks and crannies can trap the flavors, delivering a delightful burst of taste with each bite.