summer fresh veggie pasta

Hi friend.  Do you love afternoon thunderstorms?  I adore them.  On the downside, they don't take kindly to grilling outdoors.  You seem to be at the mercy of mother nature and lately we've been at her mercy a lot. On the upside, it's the perfect time for enjoying summer veggie pasta. 

Sadly, I'm not much for measuring and, thankfully, this dish can be changed to suit your taste and desired portion.  This time I'll just tell you what's in it and what I do...

Ingredients for Summer Veggie Pasta

whole wheat pasta

garlic

olive oil

fresh spinach

garden fresh cherry tomatoes

red pepper flakes

salt and black pepper
sliced lemon

parmesan cheese

While you're cooking the pasta, heat about 1-2 tbs. of olive oil over medium heat.  I added in about 1 tsp. of finely minced garlic.  Let the garlic infuse the olive oil watching it carefully to make sure that it doesn't burn.  Toss in the cherry tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, and a pinch of the red pepper flakes. 

After the pasta is cooked al dente (don't drain!), add a generous amount of fresh spinach to your veggie mixture.   Give everything a chance to cook through, about 2 minutes and begin adding your pasta, making sure to add a little pasta water as you go.  Toss together, add a little salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese over the top.  Enjoy.