I have leftover zucchini, carrot, red capsicum, baby spinach, and rocket, and I found some pieces of salami in the fridge; I better use it before it expires. I have not had pasta for ages. Let’s get big shell pasta to go with both the leftovers. What sauce should go with them? Do I have white wine in my basement wine cellar? Yes, I do have white wine. Let’s use Sauvignon Blanc.
I am using leftovers: zucchini, carrot, red capsicum, baby spinach, and rocket from 3 days ago, which were given to me by my niece to make a colourful, healthy dish. This simple, easy leftover vegetable dish is brought to life with leftover salami pieces. In addition, I am using big shell pasta and a butter white wine sauce to make it a new dish.
I have written down the colourful vegetables and wine sauce for you and you have to cook it first before big shell pasta. Thanks to God, I have colourful vegetables big shell pasta to eat. My Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce is delicious to go with the colourful vegetables pasta. Let’s cook!!!
Ingredients
Zucchini carrot red capsicum baby spinach and rocket
1 green zucchini, cut the end, and cut to bite sized
1 yellow zucchini, cut the end, and cut to bite sized
1 red capsicum, seeded and cut into strips
4 carrots, cut cirle bite sized
leftovers spinach and rocket
120 ml vegetables stock
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
oil
1 Tbs melted butter (OPT)
salt
pepper
Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 c Sauvignon blanc or any dry white wine
1 Tbs lemon zest
4-6 Tbs butter
2-4 bay leaves
salt
black pepper
Big shell pasta and salami
200-300 g big shell pasta
1-2 litres of water
generous amount of salt
4-6 salami pieces, cut to bite sized
Method
To do in advance
To blanch the vegetables
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a metal basin with ice water, and put a colander or strainer in it. Add yellow zucchini to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes, uncovered, or the desired tenderness. Scoop out the yellow zucchini from boiling water and immediately put them in the ice water, to stop the cooking and set their colour. Cool and drain, and set aside. Next add the green zucchini to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes, uncovered, or the desired tenderness. Scoop out the green zucchini from boiling water and immediately put them in the ice water, to stop the cooking and set their colour. Cool and drain, and set aside.
Add carrot to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes, uncovered, or the desired degree of doneness. Scoop the carrots from the water and immediately put them in the ice water, to stop the cooking and set their colour. Cool and drain, and set aside.
To cook vegetables
Heat 2 Tbs oil in a big saucepan over medium heat, and add in garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add in vegetables stock, cook for about 1-2 minutes. Next add in both zucchini, carrot, red capsicum, and cook for about 3 minutes. Now add in the leftover spinach and rocket, toss to mix well for 1-2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enhance the vegetables at the end of cooking with 1 Tbs melted butter (OPT). Once vegetables are cooked, you can leave them in the saucepan or transfer to plate. If you have extra, when it had cooled completely store in air tight container and place in freezer for 1 week; do label date and name of dish on the cover. In fridge 3-5 days.
To cook Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce
Meantime, in another saucepan heat 2 Tbs oil on medium heat. When oil is hot, add in garlic and onion, season lightly with salt and black pepper. Cook stirring until garlic and onion softened and lightly browned about 2 minutes. Now add in wine cook for about 5 minutes. Next add in butter, lemon zest and bay leaves into the wine sauce, swirling the saucepan until butter melted. Check the seasoning and sauce. Sauce should be creamy smooth.
To cook big shell pasta
I would use the blanching water to cook my big shell pasta. Save water and it might add a bit flavour to the pasta. If you don’t want to use the blanching water. Fill a big pot with 1-2 litres water and salt generously, bring it to a rolling boil. Add a drizzle of oil to the salted water to prevent sticking, although stirring is better.
Carefully drop the big shells into the boiling salted water with a drizzle of oil. Give them a vigorous stir immediately so they don’t stick to the bottom or each other. Set a timer for 8–10 minutes. Keep the water at a steady boil, stirring occasionally.
At 8 minutes, spoon out one big shell, let it cool slightly, and taste it. It should be tender but still firm in the center. If it is too crunchy, continue boiling for another minute. Once desired firmness is reached, drain the shells in a colander.
Note: If you are not adding to sauce immediately, toss the big shells with a little oil or butter to prevent them from sticking together as they cool. I do at time, dunk them in cool tap water to prevent them from sticking and helps cool them down, stop cooking further. Google said: “Rinsing with cold water can stop the cooking process and prevent them from sticking if you are stuffing them immediately.”
For you
While your big shells are boiling, you can keep vegetables warm and add in the salami pieces, and sauce warm on lowest heat. Or spoon enough vegetables and salami and sauce onto microwave plate and warmed up after big shell pasta is done and drain. Gently toss into the vegetables and Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce.
For me
I just cook my big shell pasta until al dente about 9 minutes, drain and dunk into cool water. Meantime, I make Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce. In the last 3 minutes of cooking Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce; I start warming up the colourful vegetables with salami pieces in microwave for 3 minutes as it is from fridge. Then bring out from microwave and spoon enough about 7 Tbs spoon of Sauvignon Blanc butter white wine sauce over my big shell vegetables pasta. Enjoy with white wine!!!
Note: When blanching a mix of vegetables, don’t cook them together since they may not all cook at the same time. Start with the lightest coloured or mildest flavoured vegetable, and blanch and refresh each vegetable, one after the other, until cooked as desired.
You can use any vegetables of your choices. Any pasta of your choice. You can use red wine sauce, tomato sauce white creamy sauce and you can stuff you extra-large pasta with cream cheese and vegetables or minced meat. 200-300 g big shell pasta can feed 2-3 people. If you have more that 3 people increase the amounts.
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