garden primavera

We have a small garden in our backyard and come mid-July it yields more veggies than one family can eat in a week!  I end up chopping and mixing them into almost everything.  During one of those weeks last summer, I came up with this pasta dish that has lots of  fresh vegetables and lots of flavor.  I like to make it a day or two after we have some kind of grilled chicken.  I have Mike season up and grill a few extra pieces so I can chop them up and toss them in this dish right before serving.  

Prep Ahead:  Save time by preparing step 2 the night before.  It takes about 20 minutes to chop, saute and clean up the vegetable mixture.  The next day, right before dinner, I boil the pasta and toss it all together to heat through.  

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked farfalle pasta
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled with lemon pepper seasoning and chopped *(optional)
• 3 T olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 2 small yellow squash, chopped
• 4-6 tomatoes, chopped
• 20 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 1 1/2 -2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place farfalle in pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente; drain.
2.  Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook until tender. Mix in zucchini, squash, tomatoes and basil.   Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth. Season with red pepper. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
3. Mix pasta and cheese into skillet. Toss in chicken( if using it). Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until heated through.  If it seems dry add more broth and maybe a little olive oil.