Pasta Primavera

I say this about a lot of my recipes or recipes that I see.  Fresh in a bowl. All these fresh vegetables, soon to be straight from the farmers market here in Holland, Michigan.   I learned how to make good pasta from working in several Italian restaurants as a college student in Florida.  You get most of your flavor from saturating the warm olive oil with fresh, minced garlic.  Adding the pasta water helps the sauce to cling to the noodle and salting the pasta water gives it extra flavor.   You can use whatever vegetables you like to make it your own.  Just make sure to cut your vegetables uniformly for a nice presentation and a good bite.  I slice them thin, and small.  I sometimes add snow pea pods along with the other vegetables, but leaving them whole.  If you want to cut calories, just omit the cream, however you may need to season a bit more without it.  Bon Appetite!

 Ingredients

• 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 2 small zucchini, cut into thin strips
• 2 small yellow squash, cut into thin strips 
• 1 cup of small broccoli florets
• 5 asparagus spears, snapped, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1  cup + 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 
• 1 lb. dried linguini or pasta of choice
• Optional:  Sliced grilled or sauteed chicken

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.  
2. Add garlic and saute, about 1 minute. Add vegetables.
3. Saute for about 2 minutes, coating with oil. 
4. Do not overcook.  Vegetables should be tender but crisp.
5. Add cream, coat vegetables and turn off heat. 
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. 
7. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
8. Return pasta to large pot and coat with remaining olive oil.  
9. Toss the pasta with  the vegetable mixture, seasoning and reserved pasta water.  
10. Spoon onto platter or bowl.
11. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste.  
12. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately. 
13. Add sliced chicken if desired