Categories: Main Dish, Mark Bittman, Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or 1 1/2 cups meat stock or 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup asparagus tips, each about 1 inch long
• 1/2 cup diced zucchini or 1/2 cup summer squash
• 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen or may use snow peas)
• 1 lb penne
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or 2 tablespoons butter
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil.

2. In a medium skillet, bring 1 cup stock to a boil; add in thyme and salt to taste.

3. Add in carrot; cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add in asparagus tips; cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add in zucchini; cook for 2 minutes.

6. Add in peas; cook until all the vegetables are just tender, and the stock has just about evaporated; turn off heat.

7. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta al dente.

8. When the pasta is just about done, turn the heat under the vegetables to medium and stir in the olive oil or butter.

9. Cook for about a minute, then add the remaining stock; cook until the vegetables are very tender but not mushy.

10. Drain the cooked pasta and toss it with the cooked vegetables and their broth.

11. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Top with about 1 cup Parmesan cheese or enough to thicken the sauce and serve, passing additional Parmesan at the table.

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