Creamy Garden Pasta

Our house got hit hard this cold and flu season.  After 2 weeks of being sick hubby was still feeling awful, so I drove him to the doctor's office. While the kiddos and I were hanging out in the waiting room, Food Network was on the TV. Giada De Laurentiis show came on and she was showing how to make her Round and Round Pasta.  Hubby got  out of the doctor's before she finished making it, but it looked so good that I went home and found the recipe online. We tried it out and it was delicious. I wish I'd have found this recipe last fall when my garden was being over run with zucchini and carrots. Of course, I made a few changes. I changed some of the proportions and I  used twice the dressing as some of the reviews suggested. I also had to substitute a couple of ingredients since the grocery store didn't have shallots or wheel pasta. SO, here is my adaptations of Giada's pasta.

Creamy Garden Pasta

• 1 pound tri-color rotini
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 pound mild Italian sausages, cooked, cooled and sliced into rounds
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• Zest of 1 large lemon

Prepare rotini according to package instructions. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the carrots begin to soften. Add the orange juice, zucchini and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cook until the juice thickens and the zucchini is tender.  Add sausage slices, to vegetable mixture and cook an additional to minutes,until sausage is warm. Remove from heat and add vegetable mixture to the pasta.

Whisk together the mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth. Pour over pasta and vegetable mixtures and toss until evenly coated.