Pasta Primavera ChangeOne

What kid (grown-up or otherwise) doesn't love the taste and feel of
spaghetti? Our advice: Skip the jarred tomato sauce and experiment for
fun and flavor.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes Number of Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 20
minutes

1 1/3 cups small cauliflower florets
1 1/3 cups small broccoli florets
7 ounces spinach fettuccine or plain fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place cauliflower and broccoli in a large pot of boiling water 2
minutes to blanch. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a
plate.
Add fettuccine to the boiling water and cook according to package
directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add
mushrooms and sauté 3 minutes or until softened.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to same skillet. Return cauliflower and
broccoli to skillet, sprinkle with salt and rosemary; sauté 1 minute or
until vegetables are heated through. Add tomato and cook 3 minutes or
until softened.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stirring to coat. Add milk and bring
to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer,
stirring, 3 minutes more or until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese and
parsley. Add to hot pasta, tossing until combined. Divide into four
equal portions (2 baseballs each), and refrigerate extra. Serve hot.

Tips:

About Pasta Primavera
With so many vegetables, pasta primavera can be a wonderfully healthful
dish. And pasta is not fattening -- nor, in fact, is any food -- as long
as you stick with recommended portion sizes.

Our version of pasta primavera supplies 25 percent of your vitamin A and 90 percent
of your vitamin C, along with 15 percent of your iron, for the entire day.
Broccoli, a popular primavera vegetable, is a nutrition star. It is among the top in
vitamins A and C, and in the B vitamin folate. It also is packed with
disease-fighting plant compounds called phytochemicals. To add more fiber, make
this dish with whole-wheat or buckwheat pasta. Spinach, tomato, and other vegetable
pastas add flavor and color, but very little fiber or additional nutrients. Enjoy
this dish with frozen vegetables when fresh are out of season. Frozen veggies are
just as rich in vitamins and minerals.

Cooking Pasta The biggest challenge in cooking pasta is preventing it from sticking
together. Follow this advice for perfect pasta every time.

Use a large pot, big enough to hold 3 to 6 quarts of water per 8 ounces dry pasta.
Bring water to a rolling boil before adding pasta. Salting the water is optional.
Adding oil will not prevent sticking. Turn up the temperature so that water
continues to boil gently after pasta is added. Stir pasta often. Cook until done
(see package for suggested time). Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water. Drain
pasta in a colander; do not rinse. Toss with sauce immediately, or place in a bowl
with reserved cooking water and cover until ready to serve. (The cooking water helps
prevent the pasta from drying out.)

Instead of... Try...
Fresh cauliflower and broccoli Frozen vegetable combos
Milk 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese -Tomato sauce
Dried rosemary Dried oregano - Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese Romano cheese
Fettuccine Pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta)



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