Balsamic Veggie Pasta

The garden is where I'm spending my mornings. There's something about turning soil that returns a person to scale — the problems of the wider world don't disappear but they recede to the right distance. I've been out by seven most days, while the dew is still on the grass, working the beds with the fork the way my father taught me and his father taught him. Three generations of Bergstrom men putting their backs into Vermont dirt.

I expanded the kitchen garden this year. Last fall I'd been thinking about it and this spring seemed like the moment. What else am I going to do? I added two new raised beds along the south fence and filled them with compost from the pile I've been building for five years. By July I should have more tomatoes, more beans, more of everything than I can reasonably eat. That's fine. The neighbors can use what I don't, and Sarah will take preserves when she comes in the fall.

I've been listening to the radio while I work. There's a classical station out of Burlington that plays through the morning without commentary, which suits me. Yesterday morning they played a Schubert quintet that stopped me mid-fork — I had to just stand there in the mud and listen. Helen loved Schubert. She used to say his music sounded like it was written by someone who knew exactly how things turned out and was telling you anyway.

Made a simple pasta with last fall's garlic — the heads have held beautifully in the cellar — and dried herbs. Spring is still a ways off for fresh ingredients but the pantry still has plenty to work with. Good olive oil makes almost everything tolerable. I've gone through more of it this spring than I normally would in a year.

That evening after the Schubert stopped me in my tracks, I didn’t want anything complicated for dinner — just something that used what I already had and asked nothing more of me. The garlic from last fall’s harvest, a splash of balsamic from the back of the cabinet, some dried herbs, and good olive oil came together into exactly the kind of meal the day called for: the Balsamic Veggie Pasta below. It’s not a recipe that demands your attention so much as it rewards your patience, which felt right.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz penne or rotini pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the garlic. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Do not let it brown.
Cook the vegetables. Add the zucchini and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables are tender with some color on the edges. Add the cherry tomatoes and olives and cook 2 minutes more.
Deglaze with balsamic. Pour the balsamic vinegar into the skillet and stir to coat the vegetables. Let it cook down for about 1 minute. Add the oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and black pepper.
Combine and finish. Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss well to combine, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the mixture seems dry. Stir in the Parmesan.
Serve. Divide among bowls and top with additional Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Balsamic Veggie Pasta — What the Pantry Offers When Spring Is Still Weeks Away