Carrot Zucchini Ragu' with Whole Wheat Pasta

What goes well with whole wheat pasta, what goes well with whole wheat pasta.  Whole wheat pasta is one of those things that's always been avoided in my family because my conventional Italian father believes it's just one of those new health foods coming from abroad that makes everything taste horrible.   But then I did some research.  Yes, evidently it is healthier but it's also delicious, you've just got to know what sauce to go with it.  Different pastas go with different sauces - no, those penne aren't meant to go with your carbonara.  But it's ok.  The point is, this goes beyond the shape, the taste is actually different.  It's an earthy pasta and so most recipes I found were with roasted vegetables and tomatoes.  So here's my white ragu' with carrots and zucchini.

Be creative with this - add some diced cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in the beginning.  Add different chopped herbs in the end.  I love making pasta, I really don't make it enough, but it's just one of the easiest things to make.  It's whatever you have in the fridge.  It's the same reason why I love making stir-fries and salads.


My friend told me that her mom would say, if it's all the ingredients you like, then together the dish will be good.  But before I tell you to apply this theory all the way, let me tell you something that my friend saw on a forum.  It was a heated debate about bacon and chocolate.  One person commented, "I like chocolate, I like bacon, why not put them together?"   And this was responded with, "Well, you love your mother, and you love sex, you wouldn't put those two together." 

And on that note..... Enjoy this healthy and delicious pasta. 

Serves 4
Ingredients
400g whole wheat pasta
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 zucchinis, diced
1/2 cup parmesan (or more if you want)
Olive oil
a bunch parsley, chopped

Method
Sautee the onion and the garlic in some olive oil until translucent.  Add the carrots and let fry over medium heat for a good 10 minutes before adding the zucchinis and frying it for a bit more.  Let that cook for another 10 minutes until everything's softened.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until very al dente as you'll cook it a bit more in the sauce.  Drain but save a cup of the pasta water.  Put the pasta into the pan of sauce and stir over medium heat, adding the parmesan and a bit of the pasta water, a little at a time, you may not need all that water.  Taste and season. 

Stir in chopped fresh parsley and serve.