Pasta Primavera

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or 1 1/2 cups meat stock or 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup asparagus tips, each about 1 inch long
• 1/2 cup diced zucchini or 1/2 cup summer squash
• 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen or may use snow peas)
• 1 lb penne
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or 2 tablespoons butter
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 bring a big pot of water to a boil.
• 2 in a medium skillet, bring 1 cup stock to a boil; add in thyme and salt to taste.
• 3 add in carrot; cook for 3 minutes.
• 4 add in asparagus tips; cook for 2 minutes.
• 5 add in zucchini; cook for 2 minutes.
• 6 add in peas; cook until all the vegetables are just tender, and the stock has just about evaporated; turn off heat.
• 7 salt the boiling water and cook the pasta al dente.
• 8 when the pasta is just about done, turn the heat under the vegetables to medium and stir in the olive oil or butter.
• 9 cook for about a minute, then add the remaining stock; cook until the vegetables are very tender but not mushy.
• 10 drain the cooked pasta and toss it with the cooked vegetables and their broth.
• 11 adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• 12 top with about 1 cup parmesan cheese or enough to thicken the sauce and serve, passing additional parmesan at the table.