Pasta Primavera

I have to apologize for not posting for such a long time. We have had a stream of visitors come through during the last month and it has been a blast. We love having them, but it does make it harder to blog since we are always out doing something. We don't have any more visitors for about a month, so I will try to get some more posts done before then!!

This is one of our favorite meals to make during the spring. I think that I have already made it 3 times this year!! I love when spring comes and vegetables start to come into season. This pasta is packed full of all my favorite vegetables and is quite delicious!! (I can't remember where I found this recipe. It was a long time ago.)

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, cleaned, seeded and cut into strips

1/2 lb. thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup sliced button mushrooms (4 ounces)

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup 1% milk (I use almond milk)

1 tbs all-purpose flour, dissolved in 3 tbs water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 large carrot peeled and sliced into strips with a peeler

3/4 lb. whole wheat linguine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 tbs chopped parsley

1/4 cup shredded basil leaves

Directions:

Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Add peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes and cook until softened, an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot strips.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with vegetables and sauce. Add pasta water if necessary, to loosen mixture. Serve garnished with Parmesan, parsley and basil.