Pasta all'Ortolana facts for kids
Fusilli all'Ortolana
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| Course | Primo (pasta course, Italy); main course (elsewhere) |
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| Place of origin |  Italy |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, zucchini, celery, yellow and red capsicum, cherry tomatoes, salt, black pepper, olive oil |
| Variations | Different vegetables |
Pasta all'Ortolana is a yummy Italian pasta dish. Its name, Ortolana, means "greengrocer" in Italian. This is because the dish is packed with lots of fresh vegetables! It's a great way to enjoy a healthy and tasty meal.
You can make Pasta all'Ortolana with many kinds of pasta. Popular choices include Fusilli, Fettuccine, Penne, Rigatoni, or Farfalle. The main idea is to use a mix of colorful vegetables. These often include carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, zucchini, celery, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and eggplants.
Contents
Making Pasta all'Ortolana
Making this dish involves cooking the vegetables and pasta separately. Then, you mix them together for a delicious meal.
Getting Ready to Cook
First, you need to wash and clean all your vegetables. Then, slice them into small strips. The celery should be chopped into even tinier pieces.
Next, get two pans ready. In one pan, heat some olive oil and lightly fry a clove of garlic until it turns golden. This gives the oil a nice flavor. After the garlic is golden, take it out of the pan. In the other pan, start boiling some water with a little salt for the pasta.
Cooking the Vegetables
Now, add the sliced carrots, leeks, and celery to the pan where you fried the garlic. Cook them for about 6 to 7 minutes. After that, add the red and yellow bell peppers, along with some salt and pepper.
While the vegetables are cooking, put your chosen pasta into the boiling water. The pasta will cook for about 6 to 10 minutes. The exact time depends on the type of pasta you are using.
After the bell peppers have cooked for another 3 or 4 minutes, add some hot water from the pasta pan to the vegetable pan. Just one or two scoops are enough. Then, add the eggplants and cherry tomatoes. Let all the vegetables cook together for about 10 more minutes.
Mixing and Serving
When the pasta is almost ready, take it out of the boiling water. Don't drain it completely! Add the pasta directly into the pan with all the cooked vegetables. Toss everything together gently. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, letting the pasta soak up the yummy vegetable sauce.
Finally, serve your Pasta all'Ortolana hot. You can add a few fresh basil leaves on top for extra flavor and a nice touch!
Fun Variations to Try
One of the best things about Pasta all'Ortolana is how flexible it is! The main idea is to use fresh vegetables to make a tasty sauce. You can change the vegetables based on what you like or what's in season.
For example, some people might use onions instead of leeks. Others might add more tomatoes to make a thicker sauce. You could also try adding black olives or even some diced smoked cheese for a different flavor. The possibilities are endless, making each dish unique!
Images for kids
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Ingredients for Pasta all'Ortolana
