Preparation

Inactive Time: 15 minutes

1. In a large pot, cook pasta in salted water to al dente (you do not want it to be fully cooked – it will finish cooking with the vegetables). Once pasta has cooked, reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid and drain pasta. Reserve in colander set inside the pot and keep covered.
2. While pasta is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.
3. Insert the fine shredding disc into the work bowl of the food processor. Shred the Parmesan on Low; reserve.
4. Remove the shredding disc and replace with the chopping blade. While the unit is running on High, drop the garlic through the feed tube to chop. Remove and reserve.
5. Carefully remove the chopping blade and replace with the slicing disc at setting 3. Slice the onion; remove and reserve with the garlic. Adjust the slicing disc to setting 2 and slice the peppers (vertically), carrots (horizontally) and zucchini and squash (horizontally), all on High. Reserve each separately. Note: There is no need to dirty extra bowls – you will have time to cook in between each one of these steps so once one vegetable is transferred to the pan, you can slice the next and so on. You are slicing them in the order that they will be used.
6. Put the olive oil into a large sauté pan* set over medium/medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion, with a pinch or two of the salt and pepper. Sauté until softened and fragrant, but have picked up little to no color, about 2 to 4 minutes.
7. Next add the peppers to the pan and sauté until bright and softened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash next, with additional salt and pepper, and cook until just softened. Finally, add in the carrot ribbons and cook until bright and just softened, another couple of minutes. Stir in the remaining salt and pepper, and sauté together for an additional minute.
8. Once the pasta has been cooked and the vegetables are ready, add the pasta to the vegetables, in two batches, and stir together to fully combine. Add the reserved pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, to create a creamier consistency. You will probably only need about 1 cup of water, but it will depend on the type of pasta that you are using. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, and then finally the basil and the reserved Parmesan. Sprinkle additional ground black pepper and serve.

   *If you do not have a large sauté pan, about 5 quarts, then cook the vegetables in a large skillet instead. Once it comes time to combine all of the ingredients, you can do this either in the pasta pot or a large mixing bowl.