CELEBRATE 'THE RITE OF SPRING' ~ PENNE PRIMAVERA

"We need spring. We need it desperately and, usually, we need it before God is willing to give it to us."

~ Peter Gzowski (Spring Tonic)

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( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gzowski )

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~ Vernal Equinox (Hubbard Lake)

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PENNE PRIMAVERA

~ 'Primavera' means 'Spring' in Italian

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1 pound penne pasta or bow-tie (farfalle)

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large minced sweet onion like Vidalia

2-3 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. diagonally cut asparagus (snap off woody stems)

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

3 diagonally thinly sliced carrots

1 matchstick sliced yellow pepper

1 matchstick sliced orange pepper

1 hefty cup frozen peas

1 pint grape tomatoes

10-oz. fresh stemmed baby spinach

1 bunch chopped fresh basil

coarse salt & fresh cracked black pepper

freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

• Heat wok or deep skillet. Add butter, olive oil, onion, garlic and pepper flakes. Saute until onion is limp. Add asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, and peppers and stir-fry until almost tender. Season with salt & pepper.
• Add peas and tomatoes. Cook until peas are thawed and tomatoes heated. Add spinach and fresh basil. Toss until spinach is slightly wilted.
• Serve over pasta cooked al dente. Top with slivers of chopped basil and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.