Name: Cajun Veggie Pasta
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 lb spaghetti or fettuccini; 3 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp butter; 1 large green bell pepper; 1 large red bell pepper; 1 lb white mushrooms; 3 cloves garlic; 4 tsp Cajun seasoning; 2 zucchini; 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside. If using gluten-free pasta, shorten cooking time by 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoon each olive oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the green and red bell peppers and mushrooms (if using fresh). Sprinkle garlic and 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning over the veggies. Brown/blacken veggies for 1-2 minutes.
Stir the blackened veggies and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and butter. If using canned mushrooms, add to the hot skillet. Add the zucchini and another 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. Cook, stirring, for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-high. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
If substituting milk for heavy cream, combine 1 tbsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp. water in a small bowl just before you're ready to go to the next step.
Reduce heat to medium-low, pour in heavy cream (or milk) followed by the tomatoes and cornstarch mixture (if using). Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. About 3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and scallions to the sauce and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped parsley.

Note

The trick with this recipe is to not cook the bell peppers and mushrooms, but to blacken them. To do this, you need a high heat and short cooking time.

Lower fat option: Substitute milk for the heavy cream and thicken with a 1 tbsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp water mixture.

Original recipe from foodnetwork.com

Cajun Veggie Pasta