Pasta Primavera - With Chicken or Without!

Source:

Ellie Krieger

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My husband and I went to a hole in the wall Italian restaurant a couple of weeks ago and as I was reading the menu, I came across Pasta Primavera.  I was really tempted to order it, but my husband informed me that Pasta Primavera is , "gross and has lots of weird vegetables in it".  I decided to listen to him because the place was a bit scummy, but since then I had wanted to try this pasta. I thought that pasta with lots of yummy vegetables actually sounded quite delicious and enticing!

When I got home I found a five star rated Ellie Krieger recipe that I used to guide me for this dish.  I loved that I could basically put any vegetables in it that I wanted and take away any that I didn't want either.  I also added grilled chicken since my husband isn't a fan of vegetarian dishes.  The end result of this meal was delicious.  The vegetables are yummy and fresh and the pasta sauce is perfectly flavored.  I was afraid that the sauce may be a bit too dry, but it was light and creamy at the same time. Even my husband, who was less than thrilled that I decided to cook this, was impressed and said it was really good! This one is definitely a keeper. 

Oh and for all my veggie followers (all two of you!), this one is for you! :)

Ingredients: 

• 1 TBP extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in 1/2
• 1 cup low sodium organic chicken broth
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 TBS all purpose flour, dissolved in 3 TBS of water
• 1/2 sp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 carrots, sliced into strips with food processor/peeler
• 1 zucchini, sliced into strips with food processor/peeler
• 1 pound linguini
• 2 TBS parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, shredded

Directions: 

Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. 

Prepare all your veggies first. Mince the garlic, cut the asparagus, slice the mushrooms, and slice the carrots and zucchini. This will save you lots of time!

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Cook the garlic until soft and fragrant.  Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus and cook until softened for about 5-10 minutes.  Add the flour, stir and cook for oneminute. Then add the chicken broth, milk, salt, and pepper and stir some more. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until the liquid has thickened a little. Add the carrots, zucchini, parsley, and basil. 

Mix in the pasta with the vegetables and toss everything around well.  Add pasta water to the pasta if necessary to loosen the mixture.  Taste for seasonings and serve.  Enjoy!