Macaroni Rosa

When we were living in California, one of our favorite chain Italian restaurants to visit was Buca di Beppo.  They had a lot of yummy vegetarian options on their menu, but our favorite by far was the Macaroni Rosa (without the chicken).  It is basically a pasta dish with vegetables (specifically peas, broccoli, and mushrooms) and a tomato cream sauce.  I wanted to try and replicate that dish since we had fresh peas and tomatoes in our CSA box last week, and the result was delicious!  It was just something I made up myself, and it actually tastes almost exactly like the dish at the restaurant!  And I bet it is a lot healthier since I didn't use any heavy cream to make the sauce (I used light cream cheese instead)!  Too bad Vivek is traveling for work right now, and I don't think the leftovers are going to last until he comes home tomorrow night!

Recipe for Macaroni Rosa

INGREDIENTS
1/2 box macaroni (I used Cavatappi pasta, which is the spiraled macaroni they use at the restaurant)
1 package whole white mushrooms, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup peas, boiled
1 cup broccoli, steamed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cans tomato sauce
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp light cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente.  Set to the side.

2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and add onions and garlic.  Cook until onions are soft.  Then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basic, oregano, and pepper flakes.  Stir, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Add the peas, broccoli, and mushrooms to the saucepan, cover and let simmer another 15 minutes.

4. Add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese and mix well until sauce is a creamy pink color.  Then toss the pasta into the sauce and serve!