Here’s another fabulous accompaniment to that lovely roasted chicken! Instead of roasting potatoes with the chicken, serve this light and simple pasta dish loaded with vegetables and served with shaved parmesan and chopped flat leaf parsley!! Enjoy with a glass of pinot grigio or pinot noir!
1 lb penne pasta
3 cups of assorted cut up vegetables (such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans)
1 cup frozen peas
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large leek, chopped
1/2 pint of grape tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of chili flakes
reserve 1 cup cooking liquid
shaved parmesan and chopped flat leaf parsley
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook penne until al dente,add the assorted vegetables to the pot then immediately drain the pasta mixture, set aside
Before draining, don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of salted cooking liquid
In a large, roomy skillet heat the olive oil until it shimmers
add the garlic and leek and cook for 3 minutes, add the chili flakes and the red bell pepper
add the pasta vegetable mixture to the pan along with the tomatoes, mix gently
add reserved cooking liquid to form a thin sauce that coats the penne
You may transfer this pasta dish to a serving platter of just keep it in the pan.
Serve immediately with shaved parmesan and a sprinkle of flat leaf parsley. Enjoy!