I've never seen a kid who didn't like this veggies-and-pasta dish. The secret to its flavor? It's cooked over low heat for several minutes so the creamy sauce is absorbed into the noodles. For a version that's not quite as rich, use light cream to replace up to half of the heavy cream. Vegetarians can replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt for cooking the pasta, plus 1/4 teaspoon for the sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound asparagus, upper half of spears only, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small zucchini or summer squash, cubed
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 pound fettuccine
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 4 to 5 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt to the water.
- Meanwhile, in an enameled Dutch oven or another large non-reactive casserole, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the garlic and warm gently for 1 minute. Add the broth, vegetables, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and continue to simmer the vegetables undisturbed for 3 minutes. Then stir in the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered. Add more salt to taste, if needed.
- Once the water has reached a boil, gradually add the fettuccine to it. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain.
- Quickly bring the vegetables back to a simmer and add the drained pasta. Continue to simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes while carefully tossing the noodles up from the bottom of the pan with tongs or two forks.
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle in half of the Parmesan cheese. Toss once more. Serve at once, using the parsley and remaining cheese for garnish. Makes 4 to 5 servings.
