The past weekend’s trip to the farmer’s market reminded me that it had been far too long since I had made one of my very favorite meals. The meal that was initially contrived through pure necessity, but turned out to be one of my most beloved Summer recipes - one that I have repeated many times since.

You know how much I love pasta. It’s a major part of my ongoing, ever-growing romance with carbs. This pasta, however, is on a level all it’s own.

Summer Vegetable Pasta {Pedantic Foodie}

Last Summer, while visiting my aunt, we took a trip to the market and haphazardly gathered produce, making up dinner plans as we went along. Whatever looked fresh and lovely went into the basket and, eventually, into a big bowl of pasta.

The vegetables were chopped, seasoned, and grilled. The pasta was dressed with the threesome that never fails to please - lemon juice, olive oil, and pecorino romano - and the whole meal was served up in a large copper bowl with a hefty spoon.

Love at first bite. This pasta is one of those very special dishes that you only come across several times in your life. It’s the kind of meal you cannot stop eating even after you are beyond full. It’s light yet rich, cozy yet Summery. It is everything I want when the coolness of the evening comes, and I absolutely adore the simplicity of it all.

This is definitely the dinner you want to make for a table full of company. No one feels like spending too much time over a hot stove in the summertime and this pasta is the perfect, quick, one-dish meal. From start to finish this meal takes me about forty-five minutes and that’s just about perfect in my mind.

This recipe is also incredibly customizable. I’m kind of stuck on the tomato, zucchini, pepper, and mushroom combination, but you could really throw in whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. I think eggplant would be smashing.

I also like to add some sliced, grilled chicken breasts for protein, but you can certainly go vegetarian.

Squeeze some lemon, grate some (A LOT) of cheese, and toss it up!

Dinner is served.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Summer Vegetable Pasta

serves 6

3 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
2 medium sweet peppers, chopped
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
juice of one lemon
3 medium chicken breasts, grilled and sliced (optional)
1 lb penne pasta

In a large bowl combine chopped vegetables, garlic, and tomatoes. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt. Transfer the seasoned vegetables to a grill pan and grill over high heat, tossing often to ensure even cooking. Cook for about 15-25 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly charred on the edges and the tomatoes burst.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the pasta.

Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water and season liberally with salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. When the water has reached a rolling boil, add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente.

Drain the pasta thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl. Add the grilled vegetables and chicken (if using) and toss with pecorino and fresh lemon juice. Season with additional salt if necessary and serve immediately. Enjoy!

I once was a little girl filled with dreams. I am now a slightly older girl with longer legs and bigger dreams. Few things have changed and my enthusiasm for glitter and my hate for spiders have only escalated.

I used to imagine that my Saturdays would be filled with all sorts of exciting things -- days when I could hold my own set of keys in my hands and fly by my own whims and fancies. However, since those days have come, my most exciting Saturdays are often the ones when I have the freedom to do very little.

Saturdays at the Farmer's Market {Pedantic Foodie}

The Saturdays when the morning begins with a cup of coffee or two, and I can take my time gathering my hair and pinning it lazily on the top of my head, before I buckle my new shows and head down to the farmer's market, where the street buzzes with a lazy sort of busyness.

It's crowded, but in a sluggish sort of way. Everyone knows that we are not there only to grab our tomatoes, we are there to talk to the farmer who makes the very best goat cheese, and to profess our appreciation for the woman who makes some pretty fantastic croissants.

And the flowers, oh the flowers… There's something about fresh flowers that makes my heart beat a little faster. In a drug-like fashion they calm my anxious conquer-that-evergrowing-to-do-list mindset and make me smile even when I spill my coffee all over myself or forget half of what I needed from the grocery store.

Cockscomb is one of the best things. It looks like a ball of fuzzy happiness. Or maybe that's just me...

It's a calm, familiar sort of adventure, and one that I am more than happy to repeat many times over. The produce will be much appreciated in the coming week.

For now, I stow away my market tote until next Saturday and wait eagerly until I can ogle flowers and eggplants once again.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie