Farmer’s Market Pasta for #WeekdaySupper & #ChooseDreams

One quick trip to any Farmer’s Market or ingredients from your own garden and you’ll have a fresh and delicious meal prepared in minutes. This dish comes together including fresh herbs and veggies finished off with a creamy yet healthy sauce.

A restaurant up the street from our Summer camp has always been a go-to place for my husband and I for a night out. Lucky for us when we moved last year it was close enough to our summer camp that now we get to enjoy this restaurant year round. It’s a Pasta place and I always get the same dish whenever we go.  It’s a dish full of vegetables, fresh herbs, mixed with a light sauce topped with shaved Parmesan cheese.  I had to guess what the ingredients were. I know it’s not exactly the same, but I did well because I’ve made this dish three times now and it’s a new hit with the husband and both kids! Yes even my picky eater!

I love that I got to partner with American Family Insurance and #SundaySupper again this month to talk about gardening for their #Choosedream campaign.  Encouraging any child to be involved in knowing where our food comes from is so important to me. I didn’t realize just how important it was until this year now that my almost four-year old understands so much more now.  I encourage you to talk about gardening with your children, or any child in your life. I think it’s a great way of getting them more involved in what goes into their bodies. Since my daughter has helped her grampy in his garden and has watched me dig and water my herbs everyday she is so much more curious. Let your kids dig with you, have them help you put the plant in, water your plants together everyday, these are just some of the ways to get your kids involved. My daughter loves helping me water all of the plants. I have proof that by teaching your kids to grow fresh fruits, veggies and herbs it will eventually get them asking questions and pondering just where our food comes from. Here is the question my daughter asked the other night when we sat down to eat our dinner. “Momma did the meatballs come from the garden??” After I burst out laughing, I explained that no they didn’t, however the fresh herbs in them did!

Don’t forget to start following Recipes from the Garden! Click Here for #Choosedreams pinterest board.

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Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces

1 medium summer squash, chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 tablespoons of fresh basil

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

1/2 cup of shaved Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of olive oil, divided

1/4 cup of reserved water from pasta

6 oz of whole wheat pasta (I chose rotini so the herbs would really stick!)

Directions:

Boil water and cook pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile in a large pan using half of the olive oil saute the garlic and red onion for about 5 min. Add in zucchini and summer squash and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add in the reserved cooking water and cherry tomatoes. Saute for another 5 minutes. Pour in the cooked pasta, sprinkle the basil and rosemary over the top and stir around for a few minutes. Add the remaining olive oil and Parmesan cheese mixing until the cheese is melted and you have formed a thin sauce.

Within minutes you have a delicious and healthy dinner! If you grow zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes imagine how more than half your dish was grown by you! Here are the other dishes from this week, don’t forget to go and check them out.

This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.

Monday – Zucchini Noodle Salad with Arugula, Burrata and Tomatoes by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Tuesday – Zucchini Rice Gratin by Delaware Girl Eats

Wednesday – Shrimp Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash by Yours And Mine Are Ours

Thursday – Turkey Spinach Salad with Herb Vinaigrette by Magnolia Days