Mom life has really put a halt on my cooking time, not that I’m complaining. We have resorted to eating Subway a few too many times now, and I finally decided I needed to do some meal prepping so we didn’t feel the need to run to Subway (or worse options) every time we get hungry. Either that, or the cauliflower crust pizzas that Costco carries, have also become a staple in our home.

That being said, this week I made a few things including this pasta primavera recipe, a quinoa enchilada casserole, panko crusted tilapia, and of course our favorite breakfast smoothies! Still been to Subway once, but not nearly as bad as the last few weeks. 😛 For those of you who are parents, I’m sure you can appreciate the lack of sleep. We did get a solid 6 hour stretch last night (the longest yet since she was born!), however the night before we didn’t beat a 90 minute stretch, so you take what you get.

Finding what does and doesn’t agree with our baby girl’s stomach has been a challenge. We’ve found that my favorite local Indian restaurant food does NOT sit well with her. We have tried it two separate times, both have resulted in me up almost all night with a screaming baby and lots of gas. That being said, I’ve been trying lots of new things to see what does and doesn’t work for us. This pasta recipe incorporated a lot of different veggies, which was what I was aiming for (since lately the only vegetables I’ve been using are spinach, broccoli, and asparagus). Needed to mix things up a bit.

I modified this recipe off Cooking Classy’s version. It is a simple meal, and can feed a family or have a generous amount of leftovers. Who doesn’t love that. Plus the rainbow of vegetables is quite refreshing. Who doesn’t love eating the rainbow?

Simple veggie pasta recipes are always a hit with my husband, being it’s not always easy to pack so many different veggies in one meal. Plus the recipe is so simple that he would have no problem making it. All you need to know how to do is cook pasta according to the box directions, cut some vegetables and saute.

Since making this I do not believe that baby has had any issues with the different mix of veggies either, which is great! Broccoli has been one that she’s been relatively sensitive to. I still eat it, but expect to have a gassy baby a few hours later. Luckily we’ve found gripe water to help us in those pinch situations.

If you’re a momma out there and have some advice for newborns and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, let me know in the comments or send me an email. Seriously looking for any advice. I feel so drained, the lack of energy to do any sort of workout and make healthy food is a stretch. It’s getting better but if you have any tips or tricks, I’d love to hear them!

Pasta Primavera (Fresh Veggie Pasta)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

12 oz penne pasta (I prefer whole grain)
salt (use the recommended amount for your pasta)
4-6 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large red onion (chopped)
1/2 cup baby carrots (cut into slices)
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 bell peppers (I use orange and red) cut into matchsticks
1 cup broccoli florets (cut very small)
1 medium zucchini (sliced and quartered)
1 small yellow squash (sliced and quartered)
1 cup baby spinach
1 roma tomato (chopped)
1/2-1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon juice
2 tsp italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to box directions
2. Heat olive oil in dutch oven or large skillet on medium to medium-high heat
3. Sauté onion and carrot until onion starts to appear translucent
4. Add garlic and mix into onion and carrots
5. Add bell peppers and broccoli and continue to sauté for 3 minutes
6. Next add squash and zucchini and sauté for 2 more minutes
7. Add tomato and spinach and cook until spinach wilts
8. Mix in Italian seasoning and remove from heat
9. Add juice from lemon and mix into the vegetables
10. Pour cooked pasta into vegetables along with parmesan cheese and mix well
11. Add salt and pepper to taste (no additional salt was needed after cooking pasta for us, so taste it before you salt it)
12. Serve – enjoy 🙂

Make this dish vegan by omitting the parmesan (flavor can be improved by adding some herbs and seasonings like basil, thyme, and oregano), or using vegan cheese. For those of you who eat meat, throw some chunked chicken or shrimp over this dish.

Let me know what you think! This is a fairly simple recipe that can be modified quite easily. Add whatever vegetables you want (I think it would be good with more greens too). Enjoy your summertime fresh vegetables!

-Cassie 🙂