Pasta Primavera

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pound penne pasta  

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 18 ounces)

2 small/medium red potatoes

1 small green zucchini

1 small yellow squash

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 red bell pepper sliced

1 small bunch broccoli

1 clove garlic minced

1/8 cup chopped Italian parsley

Parmesan cheese to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

Variations: It’s all about what you have in your refrigerator, so use any vegetable you want and try to get some color variation in the pasta. If you don’t have red potatoes use yellow; if you don’t have a red bell pepper use green or yellow. Carrots are great in here too. We sometimes add sautéed mushrooms. This truly is a dish to use extra vegetables you have in your refrigerator.

Instructions:

Put your water onto boil and salt so it tastes like the sea.

In the meantime, prepare your vegetables by cutting them up so that they are similar in size. Set aside. 

Sauté garlic and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent.

Add the chicken and sauté until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to your pan and add the vegetables that take a bit longer to cook including bell peppers and broccoli and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the softer vegetables - squash and zucchini and stir until tender. 

Add the chicken back in and stir. Keep on low while pasta is cooking.

Once the water is boiling, dump the pasta and stir. Set a timer for 2 minutes and then add the potatoes. Cook the pasta per box instructions.

Prior to draining the pasta, save about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Then drain the pasta and potatoes and add to a bowl. Add the chicken and vegetable mixture over the top of the pasta and stir.  Add 1 tablespoon of the pasta water and more if needed. 

Add 2 tablespoons of fresh olive oil, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and stir.

Serve hot.