Schiaffoni pasta served together with many wonderful, healthy vegetables and drizzle with balsamic vinegar for an forgettable pasta dinner.
Way back in 1999 (a whole century ago), a beautiful, sweet young lady came to live with our family. Heather was befriended by Craig’s parents while they served an LDS mission in the Washington D.C. mission. Heather was from West Virginia and Norine and Gene (Craig’s mom and dad) thought it would benefit her to come to Utah to go to school. After contemplating this huge decision it was decided by her, her mom, and Craig and I that it would be a good thing. So Heather came and lived with us for 2 years while she finished her junior and senior year in high school. It takes a brave young lady to move clear across the nation to the unknown and live with people you have never met before, but Heather was courageous and faithful too.
One of the changes that also happens when you go to live somewhere new is the food is different. I mean everyone might eat cereal for breakfast but for some it is Rice Krispies, others Raisin Bran, and others Fruit Loops. One day Heather was having a phone conversation with a friend back east and food was mentioned. The conversation went something like this:
Friend: “are they rice people?”
Heather: “no”
Friend: “potato people?”
Heather: “no”
Friend: “ah, pasta people!”
Yes, our family is pasta people. We love a good spaghetti, lasagna, or pretty much any pasta dish. I am not sure I have ever met a pasta I didn’t like. There are so many different kinds of pasta: linguine, manicotti, rigatoni, bowtie, penne, and schiaffoni, to name a few. This dish is schiaffoni pasta with vegetables; lots and lots of vegetables. But what kind of pasta is schiaffoni – schiaffoni pasta is a large oval cut noodle. It is recommended you use a hearty sauce with schiaffoni because schiaffoni means slap and the noodle is called this because it tends to “slap” sauce around on the plate. My schiaffoni pasta with vegetables uses a light sauce but it still comes together deliciously with all the vegetables, herbs, and a splattering of balsamic vinegar. 
Schiaffoni Pasta with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 8 oz schiaffoni
- 1 bunch asparagus (washed and trimmed into 2 inch lengths)
- 1 large tomato (chopped)
- 1/3 large lnion 9sliced into 2 inch lengths)
- 5 small sweet peppers (sliced into rounds)
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup kalamata olive (pitted)
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 leaves fresh basil
- 1 sprig fresh oregano
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- Parmesan cheese (freshly grated or sliced to curl)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Fill a large pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil on high heat
- Once boiling lower the temperature to medium low heat
- Add a pinch of salt
- Add the schiaffoni and cook according to package directions
- In a medium saucepan add the olive oil, warm over medium heat
- Add to the saucepan the garlic, onions, peppers, and asparagus
- Saute over medium heat
- Add the spices (torn or snip into small pieces)
- Just before the schiaffoni is done to al dente add the olives and tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables
- Drain the pasta, rinse with warm water
- Continue to saute over low heat enough to warm the olives and tomatoes
- Add the balsamic vinegar and stir in gently
- Add the pasta to the vegetables and mix gently
- Top with the freshly grated/curled Parmesan cheese
Enjoy this delicious pasta full of fresh veggies and lots of flavor.
Do you have a favorite type of pasta?
Tina says
Why would you ever rinse pasta with water?!?!?
Ellen Garrett says
As opposed to what? I am guessing you don’t rinse your pasta. I grew up rinsing my pasta to rinse the starch off. I know that it is not necessary to do so anymore, so I suppose it is just a habit. Although if you are using the pasta cold it is better to rinse so it won’t become gummy. I hope that answers your question.
Aimee Berrett says
I know some people don’t rinse their pasta because they think the starch helps hold the sauce better, I’ve grown up rinsing it because I usually serve the pasta separate from the sauce, although its not that way in this recipe, that is how I’ve always done it! 🙂