Pasta Primavera

This recipe was good. Not knock-your-socks-off yet, but I have an idea of where to tweak it for next time. Alex really liked it and he doesn't like the usual pasta primavera (he was also starving when he came home at 9, so he would have probably eaten wallpaper and loved it).

It's a WW recipe, 6 points per serving, and it was really filling. It could have used a little more olive oil and possibly a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese as a topping. I think that would have kicked up the flavor a little bit. I would also use two cans of artichoke hearts b/c I like the flavor they add.

Try it and play around with it! I'd love to hear any suggestions you have.

Ingredients:

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

1/8 tsp salt, for cooking the pasta

4 tsp olive oil, divided into 2 and 2

8 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

4-6 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 small yellow summer squash, halved length-wise and then trimmed into 1/2 inch pieces (I left this out b/c we both dislike the texture of cooked squash)

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters (I would do 2 cans next time for more POW flavor)

1 medium garlic clove, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 salt

1/4 pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into strips (we were unable to find this, so I used dried. Fresh basil would add so much, so I HIGHLY recommend using it!)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to box instructions.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook asparagus, squash and snap peas, stirring often until vegetables are crisp-tender (about 4 min or so).

Stir in artichoke hearts and garlic, cook and stir over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes, peas, salt and pepper. Scoop out 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water and add it to the skillet. Cook, tossing all the ingredients until the tomatoes soften and the vegetables are crisp-tender (about 1 minute or so).

Drain pasta and then return to pot. Add vegetables, basil and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Toss everything together and serve immediately!

Possibly top with grated Parmesan cheese and another tsp of olive oil. One serving is 2 1/4 cups.