Recipe: Fresh Pasta with Spring Vegetables

I have been wanting to make some fresh pasta for about a week now.  I didn't want to just make it with plain tomato sauce, so I decided to make it with fresh spring vegetables.  I can't wait to try this with all sorts of other vegetables.  It was delicious.

You could make it with store-bought pasta, but I do love making my own pasta.  It's so much fun.  I made it with plain all-purpose flour this time, but you could make it with your favorite whole wheat pasta if you want.

Fresh Pasta with Spring Vegetables

Pasta Dough
4 eggs
2 c all-purpose flour
salt for boiling

Vegetable Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 c cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 bag baby spinach
1 lb asparagus, woody ends snapped off and the rest cut into 2" pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into small chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into small chunks
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
6 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Prepare pasta dough by kneading together the eggs and the flour until a dough forms.  I used my food processor and pulsed until well-combined.  If dough is too sticky, add more flour.  Pat into a disk and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rest for ~30 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large pot - mine was 5 quarts and that was a good size.  Saute onion and carrots over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the remaining vegetables, along with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, broth and salt and pepper.  Combine well and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Vegetables cooking

Meanwhile, roll pasta dough out with a pasta machine (or by hand, if you want) and cut into linguine. Let dry for several minutes before cooking.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta for about 2-3 minutes, until it is al dente.

Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce.  Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar, if desired.