Drag-it-Through-the-Garden Pasta Pomodoro (serves 4-6)

There's nothing like the spring harvest to bring in the freshest veggies and herbs after enduring a long winter.  This dish is light and spicy, perfect for a spring dinner on the patio.  Choose any combination of veggies that are in season from your garden or that you find at your local farmers' market.  A mix of colors is pleasing to the eye and to the palate.  You can also be creative with your pasta flavors.  We selected the Basil Garlic for its traditional Italian flavor and turned up the heat with the Spicy Thai.

Ingredients

1/2 pound of Pappardelle's Basil Garlic Fettuccine
1/2 pound of Pappardelle's Spicy Thai Linguine
1 Tbsp of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
6 cups of fresh vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, snap peas, eggplant, etc.), chopped into large, but similar sizes
3 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of packed, fresh basil, chopped
1/8 cup of packed, fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

Method

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and return to pot.
2.  While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute garlic and onions for 5 minutes, or until slightly browned.
3.  Add the fresh vegetables to the garlic and onions and continue sauteing for an additional 3-4 minutes until slightly softened, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes) to the veggie mixture and heat for 1-2 minutes.
5.  Combine pasta with veggies and serve.

Source of Inspiration

This comes compliments of the Pasta Artistica Test Kitchen.  We found this dish to be even better the next day.  Serve chilled if it's a warm evening.  This is an ode to everything springy!