Confetti Spaghetti

This pasta primavera variation bears the colors of the Italian flag, but you can use any vegetables you have on hand (or look good in the market).

Ingredients

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups small cauliflower florets
1/2 cup slender green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup sugar snap or snow peas, ends trimmed
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, diced
6 to 8 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound whole-wheat* spaghetti or linguine
4 scallions, minced (include white and greens)
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup minced basil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Set up a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add onion and salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.

Add the broccoli and cauliflower. Stir and cook until the vegetables are just barely tender--about 5 minutes. Add the green beans, peas, and bell pepper, and cook for approximately 5 minutes longer, then stir in the garlic. Cook for about a minute more and set aside.

When the water boils, add pasta to the pot and cook about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, but still slightly firm to the bite. Drain thoroughly, and transfer pasta to a large bowl or serving platter. Add the vegetable mixture and toss with tongs, sprinkling in the scallions, parsley, basil, and Parmesan as you toss. Grind in some fresh black pepper, and serve right away.

* The spaghetti can be half whole-wheat and half white. If you choose to do it that way, cook the two kinds of pasta separately, as the whole wheat will take a couple of minutes longer.

Adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, by Mollie Katzen