dish: Pesto Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pasta (penne, farfalle, or rotini work well)

1 cup fresh peas (shelled)
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Reserve about 1
cup of the pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Steam or blanch the peas, asparagus, and
broccoli florets for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the cooked vegetables and cherry
tomatoes. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened and warmed through.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving the pasta water. Add the pasta, pesto, Parmesan
cheese, and a splash of reserved pasta water to the skillet with the vegetables. Toss everything
together to coat evenly. Add more pasta water if needed to create a creamy sauce.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil leaves (optional) and serve
immediately.
Tips:

You can add other seasonal vegetables to this dish, such as zucchini, yellow squash, or bell
peppers.
If you don't have fresh pesto, store-bought works just fine.
To make the dish vegan, use a vegan pesto and omit the Parmesan cheese.