Recipe of the Day: Summer Vegetable Pasta

August 17, 2011 Summer Vegetable Pasta Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine Turn the best of summer produce into a light and easy pasta dinner. Combine sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper and fresh mint to make a delicious pasta primavera. Get the Recipe: Summer Vegetable Pasta Summer Fruit Salad Paula's Mint Iced Tea Go to FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces fusilli or other corkscrew pasta
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, halved lengthwise, or broccoli florets (or a combination)
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook as the label directs. Add the sugar snap peas and/or broccoli, carrots and bell pepper to the boiling water during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the tomatoes begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water. Pour the tomato mixture over the pasta and vegetables. Add the mint, parmesan and half the goat cheese and toss to combine. Season with salt.
• Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with the remaining goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Per serving: Calories 638; Fat 27 g (Saturated 10 g); Cholesterol 33 mg; Sodium 841 mg; Carbohydrate 77 g; Fiber 7 g; Protein 24 g

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

ACTIVE: 30 min l TOTAL: 30 min l SERVES: 4